Sarah Ferguson is facing mounting pressure to testify to US officials about her links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The former Duchess of York has not been seen publicly for months as the scandal deepened over her and her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with the disgraced financier.
Now members of Congress have joined calls for the 66-year-old to give evidence under oath to the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the handling of the late businessman’s prosecution.
Committee member Suhas Subramanyam said he now believed she had “information related to the investigation”.
“Sarah Ferguson should give sworn testimony to our committee,” he told the BBC.
There is no legal mechanism to compel Ms Ferguson to testify in the US, but the Democratic congressman said lawmakers would be “happy to work out terms that work for her”, provided she was under oath.
His calls were echoed by Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, who urged anyone with information of wrongdoing by Epstein and his associates to cooperate to help ensure justice for victims.
“If Ferguson or any member of their family has such information, our responsibility is to follow the facts wherever they lead,” she added.
The family of Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, who accused Mr Mountbatten-Windsor of sexual abuse, which he denies, said they “strongly” believe Ms Ferguson should answer questions in the US.
A representative for Ms Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, added: “If Ferguson knows anything, she should testify in the United States immediately.”
US lawmakers have long called for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, who was last month arrested and released under investigation on suspicion of misconduct in public office, to answer questions over his ties to Epstein. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
But pressure is now also being extended to his ex-wife after emails which emerged in the latest tranche of Epstein files appeared to reveal the depth of her friendship with the sex offender.
The documents suggest Ms Ferguson continued the friendship after he was convicted as a child sex offender for procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008.
An email exchange from 2009 saw the then-Duchess of York call Epstein the “brother I have always wished for” as she updated him on potential opportunities for her business brands and books.
The next year, in another email between “Sarah” and Epstein, she calls him a “legend” and describes her “gratitude” for him.
She added: “Xx I am at your service. Just marry me.”
The documents, released by the US Department of Justice in January, also suggest she took her daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, to lunch with Epstein shortly after he was released from prison. Being named in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing.
In October, she lost her duchess title when her ex-husband relinquished his Duke of York title over his links with Epstein. She was also forced to move out of his sprawling Windsor home, Royal Lodge.
Her whereabouts since then are not known, with unconfirmed reports suggesting she has been in the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Switzerland, or at a wellness retreat in Ireland.
Speculation has also been growing that she is fielding offers for a tell-all interview or may consider writing a memoir, having already published dozens of books.
Media lawyer Jonathan Coad, who has represented Ferguson in defamation and privacy cases in the past, said there was “no chance” she would go to the US to testify.
“Of course she won’t, and if she were still my client, my very strong advice to her would be not to go,” he told the BBC.
“It would be a disaster for her, for her daughters Beatrice and Eugenie – and also for Andrew, as it would show him up for not going.”
Several UK charities cut ties with the former royal in September as details of her links to Epstein started to emerge.
Last month, her own charity, Sarah’s Trust, announced it would close “for the foreseeable future”.
The Independent contacted Ms Ferguson’s representatives for comment.
