Two charities have cut ties with Sarah, Duchess of York, after it emerged she sent a message to Jeffrey Epstein describing him as a ‘supreme friend’. Julia’s House said the correspondence made it inappropriate for her to continue as a patron. The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, which was founded after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse’s death, said it would also drop the duchess as a patron.

Official records show the duchess apologised in April 2011 for linking Epstein to paedophilia in media interviews because he threatened to sue her. A spokesman said she had expressed regret about the association and did not resile from condemning him publicly. In the email to Epstein, she wrote: ‘You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.’ She added: ‘I was advised in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you. And if I did — I would cause more problems to you, the Duke and myself. I was broken and lost. So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time.’