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Six companies linked to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will be shut down after the latest release of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein revealed his close friendship with the late sex offender, documents have revealed.
Mr Ferguson is listed as the sole director of these companies, all of which have applied in recent days to be removed from the UK’s official Companies House Register, with virtually all companies required to provide information such as director details and annual reports.
It is not clear exactly what services the two companies provided. One company was involved in public relations and communications services, Companies House said. The other was retail.
The move comes after the U.S. Department of Justice released new parts of the so-called “Epstein file” on January 30, sparking new scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor and Ferguson for their ties to disgraced financiers convicted of sexually soliciting minors.
A spokesperson for Mr Ferguson, also known as “Fergie”, said last year that the former duchess severed ties with Mr Epstein “as soon as she became aware of the scope of the allegations”.
But the latest Justice Department files suggest that was not the case.
The documents appear to show that not only did Mr. Ferguson continue to communicate, but in 2009, Mr. Ferguson visited him in Miami, five days after he was released from prison after completing 13 months of an 18-month sentence for solicitation of prostitution from a minor.
Other interactions show her strong affection for Epstein at the time.
In January 2010, Ferguson wrote: “You are a legend. I love you and thank you for your generosity and kindness. There are truly no words to express it. Xx I am all for you. Please marry me.”
In August 2009, the former duchess thanked him for being “the brother I’ve always wanted.”
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor and Mr Ferguson’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have also come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks after their names appeared in the latest part of the file.
CNN has reached out to Mr. Ferguson’s representatives for comment about the correspondence found in Mr. Epstein’s documents and the company’s closure. The presence of a name in the Epstein documents does not indicate any wrongdoing. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor had previously denied any wrongdoing over his relationship with the late sex offender.
Days after his release in January, Mr. Ferguson’s charity foundation, Sara’s Trust, announced it would close “for the time being” after “several months” of discussions, according to Britain’s PA media news agency.
On February 13, a company called S. Phoenix Events Limited, of which Mr. Ferguson is a director, applied to Companies House to “deregister the company”, or close it down.
Five other companies filed similar applications on February 16th.
The companies scheduled to close are Philanthrepreneur Limited, Fergie’s Farm Limited, La Luna Investments Limited, Solamoon Limited, Planet Partners Productions Limited and S. Phoenix Events Limited.
According to the UK government, a company can only be removed from the Enterprise Authority if, among other conditions, it has not traded in the past three months.
