🔗 Share this article

The Duke's removal from the last vestiges of monarchical duties has not only altered his path - it's creating waves through his family too.

Sarah Ferguson's Title Change

His ex-wife has now lost her duchess title and will now be referred to as Sarah Ferguson.

For Ferguson, 66, the change 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 certain prestige over this," noted one royal commentator. "She certainly utilizes the title – even her Twitter bio 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, multiple organizations dropped her as patron after an email from 2011 revealed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and appeared to express regret for her negative comments of him.

Business Ventures and Philanthropy

Separate from her charitable activities, Ferguson also has various business ventures.

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

But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in royal circles. She has continued recovering strongly.

"She is the supreme perseverer and master of reinvention," said one royal author.

The Princesses

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

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

Additionally there is no modification to the royal succession order.

Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, succeeded by his children Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth position respectively.

But in practice their positions are "distant" and will likely become much further down as time goes on.

Coming Opportunities

Beatrice and Eugenie are also currently non-official royals, and while they do sometimes accept positions – Princess Eugenie was recently announced as a advisor for the monarch's charity network – commentators also say they "can't see a world" in which they would step up into royal duties.

"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 impact them personally in the separate paths they are building for themselves," explains one monarchy analyst.

"The princesses are particularly unlucky affected parties, they've had to suffer in silence and have been composed in their silence," states another monarchy writer.

Ultimate Consequences

In the end, there seems to be minimal uncertainty that the individual who will be most affected by these developments will be the Duke himself.

For someone who consistently enjoyed the trappings of royalty, the ceremony and the pageantry, the relinquishment of his honors is deeply humiliating.

Therefore lacking these, on a individual basis, will really matter.