🔗 Share this article

Prince Andrew's removal from the last vestiges of monarchical duties has not only altered his path - it's sending ripples through his family too.

Sarah Ferguson's Title Change

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

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

For all these years, she has maintained the honorary royal post-marital designation Sarah, Duchess of York. Now, she reverts to her maiden name of Ferguson.

"She has lost a certain prestige over this," noted one monarchy expert. "She definitely utilizes the title – even her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."

But the relinquishment of her status may affect her much less than the controversy she's dealing with independently about her own connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

Last month, several charities removed her as patron after an email from over a decade ago showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and appeared to express regret for her negative comments of him.

Professional Endeavors and Charity Work

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, notes one monarchy analyst.

But Ferguson has been a great survivor in royal circles. She has continued bouncing back.

"She's the supreme perseverer and master of reinvention," commented one monarchy writer.

The Princesses

For the couple's offspring, Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Eugenie, thirty-five, there's no official alteration.

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

Additionally there is no change to the line of succession.

Andrew remains eighth in line to the crown, succeeded by his children 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.

Future Prospects

Beatrice and Eugenie are also currently non-official royals, and while they occasionally take on roles – Princess Eugenie was recently named as a mentor for the monarch's charity program – commentators also say they "don't envision a world" in which they would advance into official responsibilities.

"As far as Beatrice and Eugenie go, I think there's an appreciation of the reality that this scandal isn't about them, and it's not fair for it to affect them directly in the separate paths they are carving out for themselves," says one monarchy analyst.

"Their daughters are particularly unlucky affected parties, they've had to endure quietly and have been composed in their reserve," states another monarchy writer.

Ultimate Consequences

Ultimately, there appears to be little doubt that the individual who will be most impacted by all of this will be Prince Andrew himself.

For someone who consistently enjoyed the royal privileges, the ceremony and the ceremony, the relinquishment of his honors is deeply humiliating.

Therefore lacking these, on a personal level, will really matter.