Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson is facing renewed scrutiny after newly uncovered correspondence revealed she secretly visited convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on multiple occasions during his imprisonment in Florida.

The 66-year-old Duchess of York reportedly met with the disgraced financier twice at the Florida Science Foundation office while he served his 18-month sentence between June 2008 and July 2009. A third planned meeting was abandoned when her travel arrangements unexpectedly collapsed.

Newly leaked emails show Ferguson describing Epstein as "a legend" and expressing enthusiasm about tapping into his "genius ideas." On April 4, 2009, nine months into Epstein's sentence, she messaged the financier requesting "a quick cup of tea" during a Florida stopover, signing off with "Love Sarah The red Head.!!"

Following one visit where she delivered documents about her Mother's Army charitable initiative, Ferguson wrote: "My dear spectacular and special friend Jeffrey. You are a legend, and I am so proud of you. Thank you for looking after me so well."

The revelations come years after Ferguson's association with Epstein first sparked controversy. The disgraced financier was convicted in 2008 on charges of procuring a minor for prostitution and served 13 months in a county jail before being released to his Palm Beach office under a work-release program.

Ferguson has previously expressed regret over her relationship with Epstein. A spokesperson told media outlets that the duchess was "taken in by his lies" and cut off contact as soon as she became aware of the allegations against him. The spokesman added that Ferguson condemned Epstein publicly to the extent that he threatened to sue her for defamation.

The duke of York, who remains close to his ex-wife, has faced his own scrutiny over his friendship with Epstein. Prince Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 following a disastrous BBC interview about his association with the financier.

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death sparked widespread conspiracy theories and renewed investigations into his network of powerful associates.

Ferguson has not publicly commented on the leaked emails, and palace officials have declined to address the matter.