Sarah Ferguson has been dropped as a patron of a children's charity following the publication of a 2011 email she sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A spokesperson for Julia's House, a children's hospice charity, announced on Monday that the Duchess of York had been removed after seven years as patron following the publication of an email in which she called Epstein her "supreme friend". "Following the information shared this weekend on the Duchess of York's correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, Julia's House has taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity," said the spokesperson. "We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support." Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew, reportedly sent the email to the late financier weeks after telling the media she had cut ties with him. In the leaked emails, which were obtained by Mail on Sunday, she allegedly "humbly" apologised to Epstein for denouncing him publicly and explained that she was advised to "have nothing to do with" him to protect her career as a children's book author and philanthropist. "You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family," she allegedly wrote. Addressing the correspondence, the 65-year-old's spokesperson insisted that the email was written after Epstein threatened to sue her for defamation "for associating him with paedophilia" and that she stood by her public condemnation of him. "She does not resile from anything she said then," they stated. "This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats." Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008 and served time in prison. He died by suicide in his jail cell in August 2019, weeks after being arrested on sex trafficking charges.