Sarah Ferguson in polka dot outfit and black hat over swiss lake view

The former Duchess of York reportedly took shelter at the Swiss clinic amid the fallout from her links to Jeffrey Epstein

ollowing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor‘s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office on 19 February before being released from a Norfolk police station later that day, his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, is keeping a low profile.

However, on 21 February, the Daily Mail reported that amid the fallout from her links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Sarah Ferguson checked into an exclusive wellness retreat over a month ago.

Sarah Ferguson in a green dress© Getty Images
Sarah reportedly travelled to Switzerland in January

Sarah Ferguson flees to Switzerland

According to the report, the former Duchess of York fled the UK as she became further embroiled in the scandal, which has already seen the removal of her royal title by King Charles in November.

She reportedly took refuge at the world-renowned £13,000-a-day Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, arriving after Christmas and leaving at the end of January.

The lakeside clinic features several recovery programmes, and guests can also gain access to private chefs and a chauffeur. In March 2025, the clinic’s chief executive, Jan Gerber, took HELLO! inside his countryside home, which he allows his Paracelsus Recovery Clinic clients to visit.

Inside Paracelsus Recovery Clinic

”We have an open-door policy,” he told us of the former farmhouse he shares with his partner Jil, that has ‘Willkomm” (”welcome”) painted on the exterior.

“This is the philosophy of the house – I want people to drop by without making a plan.” People from all walks of life are invited to mingle on the terrace and sip drinks in the bar, and can stay in the two guest rooms, which he said are ”always ready.”

The front yard of Jan Gerber’s swiss countryside retreat© Andrew Farrar
Jil often cooks dinner for Jan’s elite clients, helping them relax by creating the atmosphere

He added: ”The space isn’t curated to show off. Many of my clients are wealthy founders, and we invite them to dinner in our home to help them feel welcomed. Sometimes Jil cooks for clients, and we recreate the feeling of a family home, which helps to relax and reset the nervous system and calm clients down.”

The Murano glass chandelier in Jan Gerber’s swiss countryside retreat© Andrew Farrar
Stunning pieces sourced by Jan include a 33ft tall Murano glass chandelier that he spotted in Venice.

For guests like Sarah Ferguson, a trip to Paracelsus Recovery Clinic is all about healing. Jan revealed: ”When the environment fosters a sense of security and comfort, the nervous system shifts out of a heightened state of alertness, allowing for deeper psychological healing. Many of these processes happen subconsciously, making the design and ambience of a healing space more influential than we often realise.”

Clients of the clinic are offered access to a minimum of 15 dedicated professionals, as well as visits from experts at their private lakefront penthouse for up to 10–12 hours a day.

The wellness suite inside Jan Gerber’s swiss countryside retreat© Andrew Farrar
In the wellness suite there is a granite bath heated to 40 ̊C – inspired by the Japanese tradition of healing onsen baths – plus a Reformer Pilates bed, treadmill and exercise bike.

According to the clinic’s website, they treat “addiction, burnout, depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health challenges with a comprehensive blend of tailored, evidence-based therapies.”

Why did Sarah Ferguson flee to Switzerland?

Sarah Ferguson’s reported trip to Switzerland followed the release of the so-called Epstein files by the United States Department of Justice. Emails from the 2000s between Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, and Sarah were contained in the files.

Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor © WireImage
Sarah and Andrew both feature in the Epstein files

As for where she is living now, back in December, a source told HELLO! that Sarah would not be joining her ex-husband at Sandringham, where he moved earlier this month, having lived at Royal Lodge in Windsor since 2004.

“She has stood by him all these years but is now ready to spread her wings,” the source said. “She won’t be moving in with him to the new house on the Sandringham Estate. She won’t be moving into Beatrice’s Cotswolds home though. Eugenie’s home in Portugal is a contender while she finds somewhere.”