🔗 Share this article

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

Sarah Ferguson's Title Change

His ex-wife has now surrendered her ducal status and will now be referred to as Sarah Ferguson.

For Ferguson, 66, the change will be the most visible.

Throughout this period, she has maintained the honorary royal post-marital designation Sarah, York Duchess. Currently, she reverts to her birth name of Ferguson.

"She has lost a bit of cachet over this," noted one royal commentator. "She certainly does use the title – including 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 links with Jeffrey Epstein.

Recently, multiple organizations removed her as ambassador after correspondence from over a decade ago showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and appeared to express regret for her public criticism of him.

Business Ventures and Charity Work

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

And these ventures, are more probable to be affected by the Epstein scandal than any change in title, says one monarchy analyst.

But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in royal circles. She has continued bouncing back.

"She's the ultimate survivor and master of reinvention," said one royal author.

The Daughters

For Andrew and Sarah's two daughters, 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 their birth.

There is also no change to the line of succession.

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

But in reality their positions are "low down" and will probably become even more remote as time goes on.

Future Prospects

The princesses are also presently non-official royals, and while they do sometimes take on roles – The younger princess was recently announced as a advisor for the King's Foundation network – experts also suggest they "can't see a scenario" in which they would step up into royal duties.

"As far as Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, I think there's an understanding of the reality that this controversy isn't about them, and it's not fair for it to affect them personally in the independent lives they are carving out for themselves," says one monarchy analyst.

"The princesses are particularly unlucky affected parties, they've had to endure quietly and have been dignified in their silence," adds another royal author.

Final Impact

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

For a man who consistently enjoyed the trappings of royalty, the pomp and the ceremony, the relinquishment of his honors is deeply humiliating.

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