By Benjamin Lynch,Christopher Bucktin

Copyright dailystar

Paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein commissioned a bizarre custom chess set that cast him as the king and young women as the other pieces. The perverted financier created the chess set from nine women, all in their 20s, who walked into a Manhattan photo studio in 2016 and posed in a series of stylish outfits, according to direct sources. They told staff they were members of a chess club but declined to identify its president. Over several months, the women returned to pose for 3D photographs, which were turned into sandstone-style sculptures forming the rooks, bishops, knights and queens. The disgraced sex offender, who was found dead in a New York jail in 2019, appeared only at the end of the process, when he instructed staff to photograph him so he could be seen as the king, placing himself at the centre of his own chessboard. It comes after the Teenage Cancer Trust has dropped Sarah, Duchess of York as patron after 35 years following the disclosure of an email to paedophile financier Epstein in which she described him as a “supreme friend”. Several charities severed ties with the duchess on Monday after it emerged she apologised to the sex offender in April 2011 after publicly disowning him in the media. In a statement, the Teenage Cancer Trust said: “We have made the decision to end our relationship with the Duchess of York, and as of today she is no longer a patron of Teenage Cancer Trust. “We have communicated this decision to the Duchess. We would like to thank the Duchess of York for her support.” The charity’s announcement followed similar statements from Wiltshire and Dorset-based children’s hospice Julia’s House, Prevent Breast Cancer, and The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, who all cut ties with the duchess on Monday. The British Heart Foundation also said the duchess was no longer a serving ambassador for the charity. Julia’s House was the first to announce its decision to end its association with the duchess, saying it would be “inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity” – citing her correspondence with Epstein as a deciding factor. Prevent Breast Cancer, which the duchess became a patron of last year, also announced it was cutting ties with her. The Sun newspaper reported that the duchess “humbly apologised” to Epstein for linking him to paedophilia in the media, describing him as “steadfast” and “generous”. Her spokesman said it was sent “in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats”. The email stemmed from an interview with the Evening Standard on March 7, 2011, in which she apologised for accepting £15,000 from the sex offender. During the interview, she told the newspaper: “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 have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.” A little over a month later, the duchess sent a message to Epstein, in which she said: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. “And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that. “You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.” It continued: “I was advised in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you. “And if I did — I would cause more problems to you, the Duke and myself. I was broken and lost. “So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in over-riding fear. I am sorry.” The duchess’s spokesman previously said she had spoken of her regret about her association with Epstein and “does not resile” from condemning him publicly. He added that Epstein had threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .