🔗 Share this article

The Duke's exit from the final remnants of monarchical duties has not only reshaped his future - it's creating waves through his family too.

Sarah Ferguson's Title Change

The former spouse has now lost her duchess title and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.

For Sarah, 66, the transition will be the most visible.

Throughout this period, she has kept the courtesy royal divorcee title Sarah, Duchess of York. Currently, she reverts to her maiden name of Ferguson.

"She will have lost a bit of cachet over this," said one monarchy expert. "She definitely utilizes the title – even her social media profile is @SarahTheDuchess."

But the relinquishment of her status may impact her much less than the scandal she's facing separately about her own connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

Recently, several charities dropped her as patron after correspondence from over a decade ago showed that she referred to Epstein her "supreme friend" and seemed to apologise for her public criticism of him.

Professional Endeavors and Charity Work

Away from her philanthropy, Ferguson also has multiple commercial enterprises.

And these ventures, are more probable to be impacted by the Epstein controversy than any alteration in status, notes one royal commentator.

But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in royal circles. She's kept bouncing back.

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

The Princesses

For the couple's two daughters, Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Eugenie, 35, there's no official alteration.

They continue to be referred to as royal princesses, which they have been entitled to since their birth.

There is also no modification to the line of succession.

Andrew remains eighth position to the throne, succeeded by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth place in that order.

But in practice their standing are "distant" and will likely become even more remote as years pass.

Coming Opportunities

Beatrice and Eugenie are also presently non-official royals, and while they occasionally take on roles – The younger princess was recently announced as a advisor for the monarch's charity program – experts also say they "don't envision a world" in which they would step up into official responsibilities.

"As far as Beatrice and Eugenie go, I think there's an understanding of the fact that this scandal doesn't involve them, and it's unjust for it to affect them personally in the independent lives they are building for themselves," explains one royal commentator.

"The princesses are particularly unlucky victims, they've had to endure quietly and have been composed in their silence," adds another monarchy writer.

Ultimate Consequences

In the end, there seems to be minimal uncertainty that the person who will be most impacted by all of this will be Prince Andrew himself.

For a man who consistently enjoyed the royal privileges, the pomp and the pageantry, the relinquishment of his honors is deeply humiliating.

Therefore lacking those, on a personal level, will significantly count.