Terry Prone: Charities should never have dealt with that serial dud, Sarah Ferguson

England’s Duchess of York had a dodgy past — long before the closeness of her links to paedophile and child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein were revealed

Sarah Ferguson and her ex-husband Prince Andrew at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent this month. Charities ran away from England’s Duchess of York after discovering her close links with Jeffrey Epstein. Picture: Jordan Pettitt/PA

If you're a communications advisor, suggesting to a client that they consider involving an “ambassador” for their product or service, has become almost standard. A famous person who’s in the right demographic, clearly climbing the fame ladder, could benefit the company and might not cost that much.

If the client is a charity or a non-profit, the issue is a little more complicated. It isn’t just the reputation of a service or product that may become entwined with the reputation of the ambassador, if things go south.