Sarah Ferguson's plan to earn money as guest speaker fell flat

Duchess of York, tried to chart a very ambitious course in 2009, pursuing a $1 million endorsement deal with luxury cruise line Cunard while simultaneously asking Epstein for help covering her debts.

According to the new emails released, part of more than three million files, shows Ferguson pushing for a lucrative agreement through a middleman acting between her and the sex offender. 

He repeatedly pressed Cunard to secure the deal, claiming the Duchess could earn £182,780 per cruise, four trips a year.

But the response was far less generous. Peter Shanks, then-president of the luxury line, clarified that while the company occasionally hosted “Insight Speakers” on its voyages, they did not provide any fees. 

One email from Shanks laid out the challenge, “Our modus operandi is that we provide the stateroom and any travel arrangements; however, we do not provide any form of fee for our Insight Speakers.”

Meanwhile, the documents indicate that at roughly the same time, Sarah privately appealed to Epstein for £20,000 to cover overdue rent.

At that time, the former duchess acknowledged receiving £15,000 from Epstein to help pay off her debts.