Fergie chased $1million ‘endorsement’ deal with cruise liner as she faced mounting debts…but was shunned by firm who said they could only offer free travel

The former Duchess of York was chasing a $1million endorsement deal to travel on a luxury cruise liner as she privately begged Jeffrey Epstein to help with her debts, newly unearthed emails reveal.

Sarah Ferguson pursued the deal with Cunard Line in 2009 around the same time she told the convicted paedophile she urgently needed £20,000 to pay her overdue rent.

Emails released in the latest tranche of the Epstein files appear to show she believed the liner would pay her an eye-watering $250,000 per cruise, four times a year.

David Stern, a royal insider who acted as an intermediary between the then-duchess and disgraced financier Epstein, repeatedly chased Cunard to secure the deal on her behalf.

However, bosses at Cunard appeared to avoid Mr Stern’s attempts in September 2009 as Ms Ferguson’s debts were being widely reported in the press.

Peter Shanks, the then-president of Cunard, eventually replied in late October saying that while he ‘enjoyed meeting’ Ms Ferguson, the firm did not pay for such endorsements.

He explained that while Cunard did invite ‘Insight Speakers’ to sail with them on their luxury voyages, it did not ‘provide any form of fee’, offering only a cabin and travel costs.

Mr Stern appeared to consult Epstein in an email on October 26, saying: ‘F. stated Cunard Line wants her to travel on their cruises, using this as endorsement and paying her US$ 250k per trip, 4 trips/year = 1m.’

 
+5
View gallery

Sarah Ferguson pursued the deal with Cunard Line in 2009 around the same time she told  convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein she urgently needed £20,000 to pay her overdue rent

 
+5
View gallery

Cunard said that while speakers would be invited to sail with them on their luxury voyages, it did not ‘provide any form of fee’, offering only a cabin and travel costs.

 
+5
View gallery

Peter Shanks, the then-president of Cunard, said that while he ‘enjoyed meeting’ Ms Ferguson, the cruise company did not pay for such endorsements

But added: ‘The Cunard President says something totally different as below.’

Mr Stern attached the lengthy response from Mr Shanks which said he did not have any ‘specific opportunities’ for Ms Ferguson.

‘I think the challenge is that our modus operandi is that we provide the stateroom and any travel arrangements, however we do not provide any form of fee for our Insight Speakers,’ he said in the email.

The now-retired Mr Shanks added: ‘As I mentioned when meeting with the Duchess if we were able to find a third party…..then that would be a great opportunity as they could provide the necessary funding.

‘The trick of course in the current marketplace is finding such a third-party benefactor.’

Cunard offers a fleet of luxury liners which sails on several signature world cruises taking in Mediterranean ports and Caribbean islands.

A spokesperson at Cunard told the Daily Mail: ‘Our former President and Managing Director accurately reflected Cunard’s position in 2009 and no commercial opportunities for Sarah Ferguson were ever made then or since.’

Attempts to secure the massive deal, came just weeks after Ms Ferguson emailed Epstein saying she ‘urgently needed 20,000 pounds for rent today’.

Despite outwardly presenting herself as a businesswoman and philanthropist, emails show Ms Ferguson frequently turned to the paedophile for advice and loans to help with her well-chronicled money woes.

 
+5
View gallery

New emails show Ms Ferguson frequently turned to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein for advice and loans to help with her well-chronicled money woes

 
+5
View gallery

Ms Ferguson was dropped by several high-profile charities last year after emails released in September revealed she had maintained a close relationship with the late sex offender

She previously admitted she had received £15,000 from Epstein to pay off her debts but the newly unearthed documents suggest she borrowed far more.

In January 2010, when Epstein was under house arrest after being jailed for child sex abuse, emails show Ms Ferguson asked to borrow as much a $100,000 for ‘small bills‘.

Other messages show the late billionaire, who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial, told friends he had financially bankrolled the former duchess for 15 years.

Ms Ferguson was dropped by several high-profile charities last year after emails released in September revealed she had maintained a close relationship with the late sex offender.

An April 2011 message showed she called Epstein a ‘steadfast, generous and supreme friend’ and ‘humbly apologised’ for publicly disowning him under pressure.

Her spokesperson at the time said she was acting after receiving a ‘chilling’ phone call from Epstein threatening to sue her.

The Daily Mail has contacted Ms Ferguson for comment.