Former Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson has been stripped of her Freedom of the City of York. The local council voted on Thursday evening to revoke the ceremonial honour, amid growing scrutiny of her links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Council Votes to Remove Ceremonial Title
Members of the York council decided to withdraw the Freedom of the City, a purely symbolic accolade given to distinguished individuals. Ferguson’s name appears several times in documents linked to Epstein, recently released by the US Department of Justice. However, being named does not imply any wrongdoing on her part.
Epstein Connections Rock High Society Again
Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019, was connected to numerous high-profile figures. Following the DOJ file revelations, public and official scrutiny of these links has intensified — leading to Ferguson’s fall from grace in York.
This decision follows the loss of Ferguson’s Duchess of York title in October, after her former husband, Prince Andrew, had his royal titles stripped. Ferguson had already been using only her first and last name professionally before that.
Council Silent on Timing of the Vote
York council has not provided detailed reasons for the timing of the vote. The move comes amid escalating public debate over the Epstein files and Ferguson’s mention within them, suggesting the controversy is far from over.
