What Prince Andrew's Removal of Titles Means for Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice and Eugenie
Prince Andrew's removal from the last vestiges of monarchical duties has not only altered his path - it's sending ripples through his immediate relatives too.
Sarah Ferguson's Title Change
The former spouse has now surrendered her ducal status and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.
For Sarah, sixty-six, the change will be the most visible.
Throughout this period, she has maintained the honorary royal divorcee title Sarah, York Duchess. Currently, she returns to her birth name of Ferguson.
"She will have lost a certain prestige over this," said one royal commentator. "She certainly utilizes the title – including her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."
But the loss of her title may affect her much less than the scandal she's facing separately about her own connections to the convicted financier.
Last month, multiple organizations removed her as patron after correspondence from 2011 showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and seemed to apologise for her negative comments of him.
Business Ventures and Philanthropy
Separate from her philanthropy, Ferguson also has various business ventures.
And these, too, are more likely to be impacted by the Epstein scandal than any alteration in status, says one monarchy analyst.
But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in monarchical networks. She has continued bouncing back.
"She's the ultimate survivor and master of reinvention," said one monarchy writer.
The Daughters
For Andrew and Sarah's offspring, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, there's no formal change.
They will still be referred to as princesses, which they have been entitled to since their birth.
There is also no change to the royal succession order.
The prince stays eighth position to the throne, succeeded by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth position in that order.
But in practice their positions are "distant" and will probably become much further down as years pass.
Future Prospects
The princesses are also currently non-working royals, and while they occasionally accept positions – Princess Eugenie was recently announced as a mentor for the King's Foundation program – commentators also suggest they "don't envision a world" in which they would advance into official responsibilities.
"Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, I think there's an appreciation of the fact that this controversy isn't about them, and it's not fair for it to affect them personally in the separate paths they are carving out for themselves," says one royal commentator.
"Their daughters are particularly unlucky affected parties, they've had to endure quietly and have been dignified in their reserve," states another royal author.
Ultimate Consequences
In the end, there appears to be little doubt that the person who will be most affected by these developments will be the Duke himself.
For someone who always liked the royal privileges, the ceremony and the pageantry, the relinquishment of his honors is deeply humiliating.
Therefore lacking these, on a personal level, will significantly count.