Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, are reportedly facing an imminent ban from significant royal events following a fresh wave of scandal. This comes after years of controversy surrounding the Duke of York, who has already been stripped of his royal duties and now finds his former spouse in a similar predicament due to a newly revealed email.

The latest controversy centers on Sarah Ferguson's correspondence with the late, convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. It was recently unveiled that in 2011, after Epstein's release from prison for child sex offences, the Duchess of York emailed him, offering an apology and controversially referring to him as a 'supreme friend'. This message was sent despite her having publicly disowned him in the media previously. A spokesperson for the Duchess has since claimed that the email was sent out of fear that Epstein would sue her for defamation. Nevertheless, this revelation has ignited an intense public relations crisis for Ferguson, leading to several charities withdrawing their patronage.

While King Charles has yet to publicly address the scandal, observers are keenly speculating on the implications for both Sarah and Prince Andrew's presence on the royal stage. Although no longer working royals, the pair, who continue to reside together at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, have occasionally made appearances at more private royal gatherings, such as Christmas Day walkabouts, Easter Sunday services, and funerals. Only weeks prior to this latest incident, they were seen at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent, where Prince William was reportedly displeased by his uncle's presence and attempts at conversation.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams shared his assessment with the Express, believing that this recent controversy has definitively sealed the end of their invitations to such royal events. Mr. Fitzwilliams stated, “It is highly unlikely that either Andrew or Sarah will be seen at the forthcoming royal Christmas or at future royal Easter services.” He further criticized Andrew’s “attempts at joviality with Prince William” at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral as being in “poor taste.” The expert also highlighted the emotional toll this situation would likely take on their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, emphasizing that they would find their parents' predicament “devastating,” particularly if it means exclusion from family events. Sarah Ferguson has not been seen in public since the scandal broke on Monday.