The quiet severing of ties began with a statement, released on Anti-Slavery Day. After seven years, Princess Eugenie’s patronage with Anti-Slavery International had come to an end, a detail initially veiled in polite gratitude and hopeful wishes for continued advocacy.
This seemingly routine change followed a trail of revelations unearthed from the files of Jeffrey Epstein. Documents suggested a previously undisclosed connection: a trip taken by Ferguson and her daughters, Eugenie and Beatrice, to the United States shortly after Epstein’s release from jail in 2009.
Epstein, a registered sex offender then under house arrest, reportedly extended an invitation – and seemingly funded the travel – for a lunch meeting in Miami. The encounter occurred just days after his release, a detail captured in the now-public record.
A handwritten note from Ferguson surfaced, revealing a deeply personal sentiment. She expressed profound gratitude, writing to Epstein that he was “the brother I have always wished for,” a sentiment shared in front of her daughters.
Princess Eugenie had publicly committed to the fight against modern slavery in 2019, becoming a patron of the world’s oldest human rights organization, Anti-Slavery International, founded in 1839. She also established The Anti-Slavery Collective, a separate charity dedicated to the same cause.
However, scrutiny recently fell upon The Anti-Slavery Collective’s financial practices. Reports indicated a disproportionate allocation of funds, with a significantly larger amount spent on salaries than on direct charitable programs.
This imbalance – nearly twice as much allocated to staff costs as to programs – prompted an assessment by the Charity Commission, raising questions about the organization’s expenditure and financial oversight. The details are now under review.
The timing of the patronage ending, coupled with the surfacing of these details, paints a complex picture. While no wrongdoing has been suggested on the part of Eugenie, Beatrice, or Ferguson, the revelations have undoubtedly cast a shadow over their previous associations.
