Sarah Ferguson says she has been “abandoned” by the Royal Family and fears returning to the UK, sources have claimed.
The former Duchess of York, has reportedly been in hiding at a £2,000-a-night chalet in the Alps amid the fallout from the publication of the Epstein files.
Mystery had surrounded her whereabouts since she was repeatedly named in documents released by US investigators probing the late billionaire sex offender’s crimes.
The King’s former sister-in-law was tracked down by The Sun newspaper this week and photographed at the bolt-hole months after last being seen in public.
She was stripped of her courtesy royal divorcee title and her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his titles due to their closeness to convicted paedophile Epstein.
She also recently lost the freedom of the city of York, after councillors voted unanimously to remove the honour over her links to Epstein.
Now a source close to the Yorks has revealed to the Mirror that she has not been contacted by any member of the Royal Family since she was stripped of the title she traded off for decades.
One friend told the newspaper: “Sarah is living in fear right now. She’s not immune to everything that is happening. She realises how serious everything is, and she is not coping with it.
“She is definitely worried about returning home to the UK and is relying on the kindness of friends to help her through the situation. But she knows she can’t keep moving around forever.
“Sarah feels she has been abandoned by the royal family and has been treated very unfairly. She is at a complete loss over what to do.”
It remains unclear how the stay at the exclusive chalet , close to the exclusive Mayrlife health clinic in Austria where the super-rich and supermodels are drawn for its remoteness and privacy, is being funded.
But one of Ferguson’s circle told the Daily Mail: “Sarah’s still got friends looking out for her and some of them have the money to help her to continue to hide out. But she can’t do that for ever. This scandal is going to go on for years. Sooner or later she’s going to have to face the music.”
Sarah used to live with her ex-husband at his former home Royal Lodge but the King’s brother was forced to vacate the premises and will move into Marsh Farm on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
The former duchess has also been forced to find a new home and could move abroad permanently.
Andrew and Sarah were last at a royal event when they attended the christening of their granddaughter Athena, the child of Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Sarah, who has expressed regret about her friendship with Epstein that continued after his conviction, has faced calls to speak to the US authorities about Epstein with a US lawmaker writing to the former duchess, urging her to testify to Congress.
Congressman Suhas Subramanyam requested that she give evidence in a government investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking operations.
Subramanyam’s letter to her read: “The Committee is seeking information from anyone who has knowledge of Mr Epstein’s criminal operations, and reports and released Department of Justice files reveal your close personal and business ties with him.
“As the Committee seeks justice for the survivors of Mr Epstein’s criminal enterprise, and transparency for the American public, I respectfully request your cooperation with the Committee’s investigation.”
As a non-US citizen, Ferguson, 66, is not compelled to appear before Congress or respond to the request.
In February Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after correspondence in the Epstein Files suggested he may have passed on sensitive trade information, and was released under investigation after spending 11 hours in custody.
He has denied any wrongdoing.