Fergie spotted in Donegal amid scandal over her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, has reportedly been staying in Ballyliffin, amid the ongoing fallout from her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

A source told the Inishowen Independent that Ferguson has been staying at the four-star Ballyliffin Lodge & Spa, but they “don’t know what type of reception she will get this time from locals after everything that has happened.”

Ferguson, 66, is no stranger to Ballyliffin. She first stayed at the lodge in 2024 and visited Nancy’s Barn during that trip.

Her latest trip abroad comes after she and ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were stripped of their royal titles and evicted from their home, Royal Lodge, over their dealings with the convicted paedophile.

The 66-year-old has visited the four-star retreat before and spoke in 2024 about how the experience had “done wonders” for her during an “overwhelming” period. 

In a video shared to TikTok that year, Ferguson filmed herself on an Inishowen beach in what was her second visit to Ballyliffin in the space of six months.

“Hello, everybody. I’m back here in Donegal, and sometimes when I find things sometimes get overwhelming, I try and take myself off to the most beautiful, wonderful blast of fresh air,” she told her followers.

“Looking at the ocean, looking at the beach, looking at the shells… It’s great to be in the wind and just getting fresh air on my face. Thank you, Donegal.”

Sources say she is keeping a low profile this time, though. “She has returned several times since and has previously attended a light therapy wellness centre in Buncrana twice, but this time, maybe different, and I wouldn’t be sure she will be going back for another session with everything going on.”

She is believed to have spent January at the $25k-a-day Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, and took trips to the United Arab Emirates and Florida. 

Following her eviction from Royal Lodge, Ferguson was also thought to be sofa-surfing between friends in the UK, but royal experts have speculated whether she will end up living overseas permanently, with the Middle East seeming a viable option, but could Ballyliffin be a permanent fixture for Fergie now?

Both Ferguson and Andrew were named repeatedly in the US Department of Justice’s Epstein files – including emails reportedly showing the then-Duchess asking the convicted sex offender for financial assistance and for him to hire her as his “house assistant.” Neither Ferguson nor Andrew has publicly commented on the allegations made in the documents.

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The Ballyliffin Lodge & Spa was recently refurbished, and its secluded location makes it a private getaway for high-profile visitors like Ferguson.

The ex-prince was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He spent nearly 12 hours in custody on his 66th birthday before being released under investigation.