🔗 Share this article

The Duke's exit from the last vestiges of monarchical duties has not only altered his path - it's sending ripples through his family too.

Fergie's New Status

The former spouse has now surrendered her ducal status and will now be referred to as Sarah Ferguson.

For Sarah, sixty-six, the change will be the most apparent.

Throughout this period, she has kept the courtesy royal post-marital designation Sarah, York Duchess. Now, she reverts to her birth name of Ferguson.

"She has lost a bit of cachet over this," noted one royal commentator. "She certainly utilizes the title – including her Twitter bio is @TheDuchessSarah."

But the loss of her title may affect her much less than the scandal she's dealing with independently about her own links with the convicted financier.

Last month, multiple organizations dropped her as patron after an email from over a decade ago showed that she referred to Epstein her "greatest ally" and seemed to apologise for her negative comments of him.

Business Ventures and Philanthropy

Separate from her charitable activities, Ferguson also has multiple commercial enterprises.

And these, too, are more likely to be impacted by the Epstein scandal than any change in title, says one monarchy analyst.

But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in monarchical networks. She has continued recovering strongly.

"She's the supreme perseverer and expert at transforming," said one monarchy writer.

The Princesses

For Andrew and Sarah's offspring, Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Eugenie, 35, there's no official alteration.

They will still be known as princesses, which they have been granted since birth.

There is also no modification to the royal succession order.

The prince stays eighth in line to the crown, succeeded by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth place respectively.

But in practice their positions are "low down" and will probably become much further down as years pass.

Coming Opportunities

Beatrice and Eugenie are also currently non-working royals, and while they occasionally take on roles – The younger princess was recently named as a mentor for the monarch's charity network – commentators also say they "don't envision a scenario" in which they would step up into official responsibilities.

"As far as Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, I think there's an understanding of the fact that this controversy doesn't involve them, and it's not fair for it to affect them directly in the independent lives they are carving out for themselves," says one monarchy analyst.

"The princesses are most unfortunate affected parties, they've had to suffer in silence and have been composed in their reserve," states another royal author.

Ultimate Consequences

In the end, there appears to be minimal uncertainty that the person who will be most impacted by these developments will be Prince Andrew himself.

For a man who always liked the royal privileges, the ceremony and the pageantry, the loss of his titles is deeply humiliating.

So to not have those, on a individual basis, will significantly count.