- Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.co.uk
The former Duchess of York demanded to travel first class after asking Jeffrey Epstein to pay for her and her daughters’ flights to visit him after he was freed from jail, new emails reveal.
Messages show the convicted sex offender’s staff were instructed to ignore Sarah Ferguson’s repeated calls and emails requesting that her already luxurious business class seat be upgraded.
The emails uncovered by the Daily Mail suggest the ex-duchess had her office contact Epstein asking him to ‘graciously’ fund the trip within hours of his release from prison for child sex abuse.
Ms Ferguson, who was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time, even pushed for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to be bumped up from economy to club class for the July 2009 visit.
It comes as new unearthed messages suggest she asked Epstein to assist with a screening of her film Young Victoria by either letting her use his New York home or by giving her $20,000 for a venue.
The disgraced financier was released under house arrest to his waterfront mansion in Palm Beach on July 22, 2009, after serving 13 months for soliciting a child for prostitution.
That same day, Ms Ferguson’s staff appeared to have called Epstein’s house manager Lesley Groff suggesting he pay for her trip to Florida.
In one email headed ‘The Duchess of York’, Ms Groff wrote to Epstein: ‘Amanda from the Duchess’ office just called. She said that you graciously offered to pay for the Duchess to come and visit you.
‘Amanda would like to speak to (redacted) about flights.’
The executive assistant is believed to have been referring to Amanda Lewis, then the former duchess’s assistant.
The following morning, Ms Groff updated Epstein again: ‘Amanda said the princesses would like to accompany the Duchess and she is wondering if you might be willing to pay for them as well…’
After Epstein obliged with a simple ‘ok’, Ms Groff set about organising the trip with Ms Ferguson requesting a three-day break in New York and flights that came with ‘crazy high price tags’.
Epstein instructed his staff to book Ms Ferguson on business while Princess Eugenie, and Princess Beatrice, aged 19 and 21 at the time, should travel via economy or premium economy.
A series of emails show staff scrambling to meet Ms Ferguson’s requests, including securing the most expensive flight option via British Airways for which she provided her BA frequent flyer number.
At one point Ms Groff asked Epstein if she could check ‘if they are flexible’, noting that what she was demanding – including first class tickets for herself and business for the princesses – would cost more than $30,000
‘There are no other tickets accept for First Class on the flight home she is requesting…’ she added.
When Ms Ferguson’s office said no other timings would work the assistant confirmed the BA flights, as per Epstein’s original instructions on business and economy, which cost $14,080.10.
But just hours before their return flight from New York to London, Ms Groff informed Epstein that the then duchess was demanding to be upgraded from Business class.
On July 30, 2009, she wrote: ‘The following is from Amanda the Duchess’ assistant…would you like me to see if we can change the seats? I recall the plane being rather booked up!
‘The Duchess has asked that she be in First and the girls in Club on the flight back from NYC to LHR apparently Jeffrey said that this would be ok please can you let me know if you can change this.’
Within minutes, Epstein, who died by suicide while awaiting his sex trafficking trial in 2019, replied saying ‘i said nothing,, do not respond’.
Ms Groff, who noted that attempts were being made to contact her on the phone, agreed not to respond.
The files reveal that Ms Ferguson and the princesses had stayed with American businessman Philip Levine at his Miami mansion before taking his car and driver to visit Epstein on July 27.
Messages from Ms Ferguson confirm her daughters would be joining and asked Epstein if he was putting on lunch.
He replied it would be ‘vegetable lasagna’ or ‘anything else you would like’ made by a chef flown in from Paris.
The lunch is believed to have been used by Ms Ferguson to seek advice and assistance regarding her well chronicled money woes.
The following week, Ms Ferguson sent Epstein a gushing email about business proposals that had emerged since their meeting.
‘After your lunch it seems the energy has lifted’, she said. ‘I have never been more touched by a friend’s kindness than your compliment to me infront of my girls. Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for.’
Emails show Ms Ferguson hoped the new ventures might pull her out of her financial crisis and help her become ‘the quintessentially British Martha Stewart and I can be’.
She later appears to have enlisted the help of Hollywood publicist Peggy Seigel, a close friend of Epstein, to promote her Young Victoria film in the US.
In late 2009, Ms Seigel contacted Epstein saying said she is planning a screening for the movie and Ms Ferguson had asked for him to either host or fund it.
‘She wants to know if you will come up and have it in your house….And she and I want to know if you can’t come- can we have $20,000 to do the night,’ she wrote.
She added that Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later jailed for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein, was approached to host the night.
When Epstein refused to provide his home for the evening, Maxwell was said to have stepped in before the event was cancelled due to diary clashes.
Other emails show how Ms Ferguson forwarded Epstein details of her hopes to appear on American TV.
One indicates she had discussions with TV producer Mark Burnett to find a place for her on The Celebrity Apprentice and developing her own series called ‘Duchess for a Day’.
Sarah Ferguson was approached for comment.
