Sarah Ferguson's career as a children's author has suffered a devastating blow after her publisher made the decision to pulp thousands of copies of her latest book in the wake of the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
The Publishing Disaster Unfolds
According to publishing sources speaking to the Daily Mail, approximately 10,000 copies of 'Flora and Fern: Kindness Along The Way' are being sent to recycling centres rather than bookshops. The book, priced at £12.99, was originally scheduled for publication on October 9 before being mysteriously delayed to November 20.
An industry insider revealed the stark reality to the Mail, stating: 'It's not been delayed, it's being pulped. It's an acknowledgement of the inevitable. No-one is going to want to buy it.'
The synopsis for the ill-fated book described a story about two characters, Flora and Fern, playing hide-and-seek in the woods when Fern gets lost and finds himself in the 'BIG City', questioning whether he would know how to find his way home.
Epstein Email Controversy
The decision to destroy the book inventory comes after the Mail on Sunday published embarrassing emails sent by Ferguson in 2011 to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In these communications, the former Duchess of York referred to the paedophile financier as a 'supreme friend' despite having publicly distanced herself from him.
In one particularly grovelling message sent 'from the truth of my heart', Ferguson humbly apologised to Epstein for letting him down and indicated she had been advised to speak out if she wanted to save her career as a children's author. This correspondence occurred less than two months after she told journalists: 'I will never have anything to do with [Epstein] again.'
The context of these emails involved mounting pressure over her connections to Epstein and the £15,000 bailout he provided her during financial difficulties.
Wider Consequences and Industry Reaction
The fallout from the scandal has been comprehensive for the 66-year-old former royal. Planned in-person book signings and talks in bookshops have been abruptly cancelled, with one local bookshop that had organised a meet-and-greet event commenting: 'It's a mess. The book is unsalvageable.'
Industry experts have supported the commercial decision to withdraw the publication. Neill Denny from book trade news website Book Brunch observed: 'You have to imagine it's to do with the current controversies. It's not the right time to release a book by Sarah Ferguson.'
Another industry source told BBC News that the decision to pulp the books 'makes total sense commercially' given the circumstances.
The publishing disaster represents just one aspect of Ferguson's declining fortunes. She has been dropped by numerous charities with whom she had long-term associations and recently lost her title 'Sarah, Duchess of York' when King Charles stripped her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his remaining royal titles.
Additionally, the former royal faces losing her home at Royal Lodge, where she has lived with Mountbatten-Windsor for decades despite their divorce.
Both Ferguson's representatives and her publisher, New Frontier Publishing, have maintained a deafening silence regarding the situation and her future as an author, declining to comment on the developments.
