🔗 Share this article

Prince Andrew's exit from the last vestiges of royal life has not only altered his path - it's creating waves through his immediate relatives too.

Fergie'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 transition will be the most apparent.

Throughout this period, she has kept the courtesy royal post-marital designation Sarah, Duchess of York. Now, she returns to her birth name of Ferguson.

"She will have lost a certain prestige over this," said one royal commentator. "She certainly does use the title – even her Twitter bio is @SarahTheDuchess."

But the loss of her title may affect her much less than the scandal she's dealing with independently about her own connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

Last month, several charities removed her as patron after an email from 2011 showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and appeared to express regret for her negative comments of him.

Business Ventures and Charity Work

Separate from her charitable activities, Ferguson also has multiple commercial enterprises.

And these, too, are more likely to be affected by the Epstein controversy than any change in title, notes one monarchy analyst.

But Ferguson has been a great survivor in royal circles. She's kept bouncing back.

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

The Princesses

For Andrew and Sarah's two daughters, Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Eugenie, 35, there's no formal change.

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

Additionally there is no modification to the line of succession.

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

But in practice their standing are "low down" and will likely 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 – Princess Eugenie was recently announced as a advisor for the monarch's charity program – experts also say they "can't see a world" in which they would step up into official responsibilities.

"As far as Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, I think there's an understanding of the reality that this controversy doesn't involve them, and it's not fair for it to impact them personally in the separate paths they are building for themselves," says one royal commentator.

"Their daughters are most unfortunate victims, they've had to endure quietly and have been dignified in their reserve," adds another monarchy writer.

Ultimate Consequences

Ultimately, there appears to be minimal uncertainty that the person who will be most affected by all of this will be the Duke himself.

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

So to not have these, on a individual basis, will really matter.