How the Duke's Titles Loss Signifies for Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
Prince Andrew's exit from the last vestiges of monarchical duties has not only altered his path - it's sending ripples through his immediate relatives too.
Fergie's Title Change
The former spouse has now lost her duchess title and will now be referred to as Sarah Ferguson.
For Ferguson, sixty-six, the change will be the most visible.
Throughout this period, she has maintained the honorary royal post-marital designation Sarah, Duchess of York. Now, 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 Twitter bio is @SarahTheDuchess."
But the relinquishment of her status may impact her much less than the controversy she's facing separately about her own connections to the convicted financier.
Last month, several charities dropped her as ambassador after correspondence from over a decade ago revealed that she called Epstein her "supreme friend" and appeared to express regret for her public criticism of him.
Business Ventures and Charity Work
Separate from her philanthropy, Ferguson also has various business ventures.
And these ventures, are more likely to be impacted by the Epstein controversy than any alteration in status, says one monarchy analyst.
But Ferguson has been a great survivor in royal circles. She has continued bouncing back.
"She is the ultimate survivor and master of reinvention," commented one royal author.
The Princesses
For Andrew and Sarah's offspring, Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Eugenie, 35, there's no formal change.
They continue to be known as royal princesses, which they have been entitled to since birth.
Additionally there is no modification to the royal succession order.
The prince stays eighth position to the crown, succeeded by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth position in that order.
But in practice their standing are "distant" and will probably become much further down as years pass.
Coming Opportunities
Beatrice and Eugenie are also currently non-working royals, and while they do sometimes take on roles – The younger princess was recently announced as a mentor for the King's Foundation 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 appreciation of the reality that this scandal isn't about them, and it's not fair for it to impact them directly in the separate paths they are carving out for themselves," says one royal commentator.
"Their daughters are most unfortunate affected parties, they've had to suffer in silence and have been composed in their reserve," states another monarchy writer.
Final Impact
In the end, there appears to be minimal uncertainty that the person who will be most affected by all of this will be Prince Andrew himself.
For a man who consistently enjoyed the royal privileges, the ceremony and the pageantry, the loss of his titles is deeply humiliating.
Therefore lacking those, on a individual basis, will significantly count.