Sarah Ferguson 'contrite' over money

Britain's Duchess of York has apologised for accepting money from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Sarah Ferguson spoke of her "gigantic error of judgement" after it was revealed she received £15,000 from the billionaire businessman - who served 13 months in jail after he was convicted of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution - to help pay off debts and has vowed to give the money back.

She told London's Evening Standard: "I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me. I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf.

"I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again."

She also defended her ex-husband Prince Andrew, the Duke of York - father of her two daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie - who is currently under fire for his friendship with the disgraced businessman and expressed regret that he faces having his status as a UK special trade envoy downgraded over the family's links to Jeffrey.

She said: "Once again my errors have compounded and rebounded and also inadvertently impacted on the man I admire most in the world, the duke.

"The duke is a man who does not know how to tell an untruth or behave dishonourably. There have been errors of judgment but nothing substantive has been done wrong by him, ever.

"He is a first-rate father; he's a first-rate man, the finest that I know."