Grasping Sarah Ferguson begged Epstein to upgrade her business class flight to see him in Palm Beach – days after his jail release on child sex charges, shocking new emails reveal

New emails have revealed that the former Duchess of York requested to travel first class after asking Jeffrey Epstein to pay for her and her daughters’ flights to visit him after he was released from prison.

The messages show the convicted sex offender’s staff were instructed to ignore repeated calls and emails from Sarah Ferguson requesting an upgrade to her already luxurious business class seat.

Emails uncovered by the Daily Mail suggest the former duchess’s office contacted Epstein asking him to “graciously” fund the trip just hours after he was released from prison for child sex abuse.

Ms Ferguson, who was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time, had even pushed for an upgrade from economy class to club class for Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s July 2009 visit.

The new messages suggest that she asked Epstein to help launch her film Young Victoria by letting him use his New York home or giving her $20,000 for a location.

The disgraced financier was released under house arrest at his beachfront mansion in Palm Beach on July 22, 2009, after serving 13 months in prison for soliciting a child into prostitution.

That same day, Ms. Ferguson’s staff appears to have called Lesley Groff, Epstein’s house manager, and suggested she pay for the trip to Florida.

In an email titled ‘Duchess of York’, Ms Groff wrote to Epstein: ‘Amanda from the Duchess’s office has just called. He said you kindly offered to pay for the Duchess to visit you.

A series of emails show staff scrambled to accommodate requests for the former duchess’s July 2009 visit. Pictured: House manager Lesley Goff’s email to Epstein about flight arrangements

The disgraced financier was released under house arrest at his beachfront mansion in Palm Beach on July 22, 2009, after serving 13 months in prison for soliciting a child into prostitution. Picture: Email about Ms Ferguson’s BA flight to New York to see Epstein days after his release

‘Amanda wants to talk about flights (redacted).’

The executive assistant is believed to be referring to Amanda Lewis, who was the former duchess’s assistant at the time.

The next morning, Ms Groff briefed Epstein again: ‘Amanda said the princesses would like to accompany the Duchess and is wondering if you would like to pay for them…’

After a simple ‘ok’ from Epstein, Ms. Groff set about organizing the trip, with Ms. Ferguson requesting a three-day stopover in New York and flights that came with “crazy high price tags.”

While Epstein instructed his staff to arrange for Ms. Ferguson for work, he said Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, then aged 19 and 21, should travel via economy or premium economy.

A series of emails show staff scrambled to accommodate Ms Ferguson’s requests, including securing the most expensive flight option through British Airways, where she gave her BA frequent flyer number.

At one point, Ms. Groff asked Epstein if she could check “if they were flexible,” noting that what he was requesting, including first-class tickets for himself and business tickets for the princesses, would cost more than $30,000.

‘There are no other tickets accepted for First Class on the flight home he requested…’ he added.

When Ms. Ferguson’s office said no other timing would work, the assistant confirmed BA flights cost $14,080.10, according to Epstein’s original instructions on business and economics.

But just hours before their return flight from New York to London, Ms. Groff notified Epstein that the then-duchess had requested an upgrade from Business class.

On 30 July 2009 he wrote: ‘The following is from Duchess Amanda’s assistant…do you want me to see if we can switch seats? I remember the plane was pretty full!

‘The Duchess wanted her to be in First and the Club girls to be in First on the return flight from New York to LHR, apparently Jeffrey said that would be fine, if you can change this please let me know.’

Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial, responded within minutes by saying, “I didn’t say anything, don’t respond.”

Ms. Ferguson, who was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time, even pushed Epstein (pictured in a photo in the Epstein Files) to upgrade Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie from economy class to club class.

Ms. Groff stated that attempts were made to contact her by phone and she agreed not to respond.

The files reveal that Ms Ferguson and the princesses stayed at the Miami mansion of American businessman Philip Levine before taking his car and driver to visit Epstein on July 27.

Messages from Ms Ferguson confirmed her daughters would be attending and asked Mr Epstein if he would make lunch.

He said it would be ‘vegetable lasagna’ or anything else you wanted, made by a chef who had flown in from Paris.

The lunch is believed to have been used by Ms Ferguson to seek advice and help with her well-chronicled money troubles.

The following week, Ms. Ferguson sent an enthusiastic email to Mr. Epstein about the job offers that had emerged since their meeting:

‘The energy seems to increase after lunch,’ he said. ‘I have never been so moved by a friend’s kindness as the compliment you gave me in front of my daughters. Thank you, Jeffrey, for being the brother I always wished for.’

The emails show Ms Ferguson hoped the new ventures would pull her out of her financial crisis and help her become “the quintessential British that Martha Stewart and I could be”.

It is understood he then enlisted the help of Hollywood publicist Peggy Seigel, a close friend of Epstein’s, to promote the film Young Victoria in the US.

In late 2009, Ms. Seigel contacted Mr. Epstein to say that he was planning a screening of the film and that Ms. Ferguson had asked him to host or fund the film.

‘He wants to know if you’ll come and take this to your house…. And he and I want to know if we have $20,000 for tonight if you can’t make it,’ he wrote.

He added that Maxwell, who was later jailed for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein, was approached to host the night.

Epstein instructed his staff to book the former duchess (center, with ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) for work, while Eugenie (right) and Beatrice (left), then aged 19 and 21, should travel via economy or premium economy

When Epstein refused to give up his home for the evening, Maxwell was said to have stepped in before the event was canceled due to their daily conflict.

Other emails show how Ms Ferguson conveyed to Mr Epstein details of her hopes to appear on American television.

One of them reveals that she was in talks with TV producer Mark Burnett about casting her on The Celebrity Apprentice and developing her own series called ‘Duchess for a Day’.

Sarah Ferguson has been approached for comment.