Fergie's invite to Jeffrey Epstein for Andrew's 50th birthday
Sarah Ferguson and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie invited Jeffrey Epstein to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's intimate 50th birthday party at a royal palace just after his release from jail for child sex offences, the Daily Mail can reveal.The former Duchess of York and her two daughters asked the convicted sex offender to bring his 'presents, presence and your humour' to the private event for family and friends in London.Fergie, Beatrice and Eugenie had invited him to celebrate '50 years of Papa/Andrew' and informed him that the dress code for the party was 'suits and cocktail dresses'. Ms Ferguson promised that the exclusive reception would feature some of her own 'mysterious mischief'. But while Champagne was flowing for their guests, well-known teetotaler Andrew apparently stuck to the still mineral water.The party was held on February 26, 2010 at St James' Palace and the former Duchess of York and her daughter had spent months organising it.The guestlist was never released so it is not known if any of the former Duke of York's siblings were invited by his wife and their children. A larger reception was thrown by the Queen at Buckingham Palace says earlier.Today, for the first time, it has emerged that Epstein made the exclusive guestlist despite being a convicted sex offender after pleading guilty to soliciting sex from girls as young as 14. At the time the paedophile was in discussions with Andrew over clearing a $120,000 debt Fergie had built up, the Epstein Files also show. The Duke and Duchess of York are divorced but have remained very close to their daughters. In 2010 mother and daughters organised his 50th at a royal palace and asked Epstein to attend The Epstein Files reveal that Sarah Ferguson and her daughters sent this invite to Epstein for Andrew's exclusive 50th bash. Fergie promised her 'mysterious mischief' Epstein was a convicted sex offender at the time of the VIP party in London, around the corner from Buckingham PalaceHe was released from prison in September 2009, five months before the party, and Beatrice, Eugenie and their mother were so close to him they visited him in Florida five days after his release. Epstein replied 'not able' to the invitation sent in Fergie's name via Andrew's loyal aide Amanda Thirsk.His parents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip organised a separate official reception for 300 guests at Buckingham Palace for her second son closer to his 50th birthday on February 19. Given Andrew's father's aversion to Sarah Ferguson, it is highly unlikely they would have attended Fergie's St James' Palace bash.Epstein's invite to a royal palace came as it was revealed Fergie owed $126,721 to her PA of 18 years so Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor went cap in hand to Jeffrey Epstein to settle the debt.Epstein was brokering a deal with one of her most loyal aides at the time of the party.He would decline to the St James' Palace party, emails show, but he did go to Andrew's 40th, which was thrown at Windsor Castle ten years earlier along with Ghislaine Maxwell.New emails released in the Epstein Files shed new light on Andrew's walk in Central Park with the convicted paedophile, and what the former Duke of York was still willing to do to help his big spending ex-wife.The infamous picture from December 2010 came at a time when Fergie was mired in debt - but it was their old friend Epstein who bailed her out again.Andrew told Epstein, then convicted of child sex offences, they would 'play some more soon' as they discussed settling her debts, one document shows. 'It would seem we are in this together', the disgraced royal told his paedophile friend. Fergie's personal assistant of almost 20 years, Johnny O'Sullivan, had been owed $126,721 in wages and the tuition costs for an MBA at Columbia University that his boss had promised to pay for.Three months after Andrew and Epstein strolled through Central Park, the convicted sex offender brokered a deal with Mr O'Sullivan for around half the money, although he dragged his heels about paying and called Fergie's loyal aide a 'little sh*t'.Fergie would later admit having Epstein pay her bills was a 'gigantic error of judgement'. Andrew taking a stroll through New York's Central Park with Epstein in December 2010. New emails show that Andrew helped broker a deal for his ex-wife to settle her debts Fergie had owed $126,721 to her PA of 18 years Johnny O'Sullivan - and Epstein appears to have bartered him down to around half that figureEpstein stepped in to broker the deal with Mr O'Sullivan - and kept Andrew directly up to date. In an email to Andrew he wrote: 'He [Johnny] said he would take 60k in wages, pay tax and be done.. I don't trust him at all, and a payment from me at the moment if disclosed to the press would look like a payoff for the little sh*t.'Andrew replied: 'I'm just as concerned for you! Don't worry about me!'It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it! Let me know if you want me to deal with J wages.'Otherwise keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!!!!'.It was signed 'A', for Andrew.Epstein appears to have paid - but initially resisted.In another email also released by the Department of Justice in the US shows how Mr O'Sullivan was left waiting.He wrote to Andrew's private secretary Amanda Thirsk on February 7, 2011: 'Please can you let me know what's happening re paying off my Columbia student debt.'Both the Duke and Duchess have asked what's happening but I don't have any information to share with them.'Around ten days later he wrote again: 'Dear Amanda, I have expressed my concern to you that despite all our concerted efforts I still remain unpaid. The financial arrangements have been agreed directly between the Duke, the Duchess and I for some 2 months.'Yet from what I understand there is no plan in place to pay me the $59,933 I am now clearly owed. I agreed to reduce the amount I am owed by the Duchess in wages from $72,596 to $59,933 in order to reach an agreement with the Duke and Duchess.'The Duchess then emailed me, twice, to say that my offer was acceptable to both her and the Duke. I did not waive my right to receive this money lightly given the debts incurred as a result of this nonpayment and resulting struggle I have endured to try and support myself and pay for my MBA course at Columbia.'This is completely unacceptable to me and in conflict with the spirit of good faith by which I thought agreement bad [sic] been reached. If I am not paid what I am owed, in fill [sic], by this coming Monday I will instruct lawyers. In that case I will also look at going for the full amount since my agreement to the reduced figure was given on the basis of a prompt payment. I hope it will not come to this'.It is not known if and when it was paid - but a document discovered on Epstein's own desk suggested it was.A 2015 picture of Epstein's desk showed on it was a letter that titled 'Settlement - John O'Sullivan'. It stated that an agreement for the reimbursement of $59,933 (around £44,433) had been made between Mr O'Sullivan, and the former Duke and Duchess.Another email, seen by the Telegraph, suggests that he did.Epstein wrote: 'Whatever we think of him we are going to have to deal with him one way or another.' He added: 'He wants to get as much money as he can, I am trying to structure something where he signs papers and they are held until his money is received, otherwise he will get the money not sign and use the money to sue.'He is trying to divide and conquer I hope you can deal with him as I don't think I can do anymore my end'. Sarah Ferguson, pictured with a mystery woman in the Epstein Files, has seen her reputation further shreddedDuring her marriage, Fergie spent wildly on staff, holidays, parties and flowers - with no regard for settling bills.She reportedly had debts in excess of £3.7million by 1994 and became well-known for running up huge bills in stores such as Harrods without paying.In a chapter of his recent book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, called 'Paying the Debts', royal author Andrew Lownie discribed the time the Duchess of York became the first royal to endorse a product on television - and how this venture helped her settle what she owed.In January 1997, she advertised Ocean Spray cranberry juice for a fee of £50,000 - which reportedly took more than 100 takes for the two 30-second shots. 'The following month, for £100,000, she accepted an invitation from an Austrian building magnate, Richard Lugner, to open a shopping precinct in Vienna,' wrote Lownie.She also did a book signing and, like Joan Collins, Sophia Loren and Raquel Welch before her, accompanied Lugner to the Vienna Opera Ball - a calendar highlight.'By February, it appeared she had paid off her debts - though she still had a £1.6million tax bill to clear - helped by the advance on memoirs, the Weight Watchers income, the advertisement, the six interviews with Paris Match and £300,000 for two children's books,' Lownie added.'In April, she began writing a column for the New York Times syndication section, which was sold to 75 US newspapers and syndicated worldwide, helped by Jeff Coplon, who had ghosted her memoir, for which each was paid £5,000 an article.'The same month, OK! Magazine paid her £200,000 for an interview in which she said she was 'trying to leave the Duchess of York behind and develop Sarah's potential'.'In May, she undertook a ten-day American lecture tour, garnering another £200,000. 'She met golfer Tiger Woods, taking a 1,500-mile flight to see him and inviting him to join her at McNally's villa that summer.'Yesterday the Daily Mail revealed that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are said to be standing by their mother despite the catastrophic damage her emails to Jeffrey Epstein have caused them.The sisters have not given up on their father either and are staying 'loyal to their parents in private while separating themselves in public', a royal source has said.'The Yorks are just about holding it together as a family but this has put new strains on their relationships', the insider added. 'The last I heard the daughters were still supporting both parents behind the scenes'. The sisters are said to be 'aghast' and 'embarrassed' by what the Epstein Files have revealed about their parents' relationship with such an 'appalling' man.But the Daily Mail's royal insider said they love their parents, leaving them in a terrible 'bind' because Andrew and Fergie have dragged them into Epstein's world and 'contaminated' their own brands.'Eugenie, for example, is co-founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective, a charity that campaigns to end modern slavery, which includes sex trafficking. How can she do that without saying anything about Epstein, Virginia Giuffre, and this new case of a woman who claims she was trafficked to have sex with Andrew?', the source said.Sarah Ferguson told Jeffrey Epstein she wanted to marry him and took her children to meet him in the US just days after his release from jail for soliciting children for sex, documents published in the US revealed this week.Fergie, who also discussed her daughters' love and sex lives with her 'pillar' of strength Epstein over email, has not been seen in public since the scandal broke. As removal trucks still roll into Royal Lodge, the insider said they they had heard that Fergie was still there as recently as a week ago. On Tuesday Andrew was told to leave his 30-bedroom mansion earlier than expected after he was spotted goofing in public.'The King wasn't happy about his brother being photographed laughing and waving at the public in Windsor while there were news stories emerging every few hours about Epstein sending women to Andrew and Fergie fawning on a paedophile', the insider said. Andrew is already in Sandringham, while Fergie has gone into hiding and is rumoured to be jetting abroad. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is seen smiling and waving to passers by as he drives on The Long Walk in Windsor on Monday. Just hours later he was booted out of Royal Lodge Another removal van arrived at Royal Lodge as the former Yorks move outThe insider added: 'Beatrice and Eugenie are in a bind.'I think they should say something but I doubt they will because of their need to stay loyal to their parents in private while separating themselves in public'. The King insists they've done nothing wrong but, inevitably, their personal 'brands' have been contaminated by the actions of their parents.Fergie is said to want to stay in the Windsor area and won't move to Sandringham with her ex-husband Andrew.'I know she was looking at a few options and hoped to stay in the Windsor area but this forced move has come sooner than expected'.Fergie has nowhere to go – but it has long been rumoured her daughters have offered her a place to stay abroad in the shape of Eugenie's Portuguese villa.Beatrice has a granny annex at her Cotswolds home.A visit to her sister in Australia could also be on the cards. But Ms Ferguson will need something permanent. The source said: 'Fergie did sell her Belgravia mews house for £3.85 million in August so in theory has that money to use for somewhere else to live. But that house was bought as an investment for Beatrice and Eugenie.'The late Queen gave Fergie money for her granddaughters as part of the divorce settlement. I don't know for sure but I think that may be what was used to buy that house'.Sarah Ferguson's contact with Epstein has shredded what was left of her reputation. She even sent a flirty email to him describing a 'single' female friend with 'a great body' he should get to know after he was convicted of child sex crimes.The former Duchess of York also suggested in a personal email to the paedophile that he could marry her and they could take on the mystery woman as a member of their staff.Documents released in the Epstein Files also show that he was asked to pay almost $15,000 for flights for Fergie, Beatrice and Eugenie to fly to the US to visit him just 48 hours after his release from prison.Ms Ferguson would be happy to fly from Heathrow to the US in business class but her daughters would be in economy, the email sent on July 24, 2009, said. Fergie told the sex offender he should marry her on a number of occasions in the months after he left jail following a 13-month sentence for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.In one email from September 17, 2009, she wrote about one woman: 'You can marry her too. She is single and [sic] a great body'. She added: 'Ok well marry me and then we will employ her'.The new emails also shed new light on a lunch that Fergie had with Epstein and her two daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie after his time behind bars.On July 24, 2009, two days after her boss left prison, Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff emailed him asking him to approve payment for the Yorks' travel costs. She wrote: 'Regarding the flights for The Duchess and the girls from Heathrow to Miami and from NY to Heathrow: we are able to get the girls on economy round trip and The Duchess in business round trip. The girls flights total are $4835.94 and The Duchess' flights total $9244.16. Do I have your permission to purchase these tickets!?'.It is not known what Epstein replied or if he paid the bill - but Sarah and her daughters did make the trip to America.
