An email has surfaced from the Duchess of York to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, in which she apologises for disowning him and calls him a “supreme friend”.

The email to Epstein, dated April 26, 2011, came only weeks after Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Britain’s Prince Andrew, said publicly that she would “never have anything to do with” the sex offender again.

The email was reported by The Sun and Daily Mail on Sunday newspapers at the weekend. In it, the duchess “humbly apologised” to Epstein for linking him to paedophilia in the media, labelling him “steadfast” and “generous”.

A spokesperson for Ferguson said it was sent “in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats”.

It came less than a month after Ferguson gave an interview to the Evening Standard on March 7, 2011, in which apologised for accepting £15,000 ($A31,011) from Epstein.

“I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite, I cannot say,” she said.

“Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”

But only weeks later, Ferguson emailed Epstein from her private account to apologise.

“I know you feel hellaciously let down by me,” her message read.

“I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that.

“You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”

“I am apologising to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you. I was bedridden with fear. I was paralysed,” she wrote.

“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.

“I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in overriding fear. I am sorry.”

Ferguson’s spokesman said Epstein had threatened to sue her for defamation after associating him with paedophilia.

“The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims,” the spokesman said.

“Like many people, she was taken in by his lies,” he said.

“As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia.

“She does not resile from anything she said then.

“This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.”

Epstein pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2008 by a Florida state court of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute.

He was arrested again on July 6, 2019, on charges of sex-trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. He was found dead in his jail cell on August 10, 2019.

The duchess is still very closer to her former husband Prince Andrew. He has faced years of scrutiny for his relationship with Epstein, including allegations from the late Virgina Giuffre that she was trafficked to the prince.

Andrew denied any wrongdoing in a now-infamous 2019 interview with BBC’s Newsnight. 

He has consistently denied ever meeting Giuffre, despite there being a photo of them together.

In 2021, Giuffre filed a lawsuit against the prince. They settled the following year outside of court for an undisclosed amount of money, believed to be multiple millions.

Giuffre, who went on to live in Western Australia, took her own life earlier this year, aged 41.

Amid the fallout from the case, Andrew was forced to step back from royal duties. He continues to appear at family gatherings, including last week’s funeral for the Duchess of Kent.

-with AAP