The Duchess of York was defended by football WAG Lizzie Cundy, who told of speaking to Fergie amid fall-out from revelations by the Mail on Sunday.

Just weeks after publicly disowning paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Sarah Ferguson wrote him a gushing private message calling him a 'steadfast, generous and supreme friend'.

A spokesperson for the duchess says the message was sent to counter a threat Epstein had made to sue her for defamation.