Sarah Ferguson slammed for 'playing victim' over the Epstein scandal

Sarah Ferguson should not "play the victim" over the Epstein scandal as she "played a role" in it herself, a royal historian has claimed.

The former Duchess of York became embroiled in the scandal surrounding her ex-husband's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after her emails to the late paedophile were exposed by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) earlier this year.

While Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office last month, Sarah has been subject to significant media scrutiny over her attempts to elicit loans from the financier, with Epstein himself branding her "desperate" for money after a request for £15,000.

Royal historian Marlene Koenig told the Express: "Sarah played a role in this [scandal] too. She does a good victim act, but she's not a victim. There's no understanding at all of how she's contributed to everything that's unfolding now."

Fergie, 66, is believed to have retreated to the French Alps. Insiders say she has been "crying a lot and panicking" since Thames Valley Police detained Andrew on February 19.

"This has shaken her," the source said. "She has repeatedly said she has nothing to hide. She'd be transparent and would cooperate with the police. She's not running from anything."

Ms Koenig added that the best next move for Sarah would be to "keep her nose clean and live quietly" but warned that such a retreat from public life was "not in her character".

"She's got to accept the position she's in," she said. "The two of them - neither has fulfilled what their lives were meant to be. They've squandered the money, power and influence that they had.

"Now, they've lost that reputation; they've lost important signifiers like Andrew's war hero status and Sarah's charity work.

*** Ensure our latest royal headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or just add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***

"I'm sure Sarah will try to write a memoir, but the question is whether anyone will be interested in it. Her best bet would be to find an inexpensive place to live, with her daughters maybe pooling resources to cover the costs."

Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office last month following allegations that he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as UK trade envoy.

He spent around 11 hours in custody on his 66th birthday as searches were conducted at his home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk and his residence of 20 years, Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire.

Andrew has denied any wrongdoing over his links to Epstein but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.

He was stripped of his royal titles and his residence of two decades last autumn, with his ex-wife also losing her duchess status and ties to a number of charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The Express has contacted Sarah Ferguson for comment.