What the Duke's Removal of Titles Means for Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
The Duke's exit from the last vestiges of royal life has not only reshaped his future - it's creating waves through his family too.
Fergie'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 apparent.
Throughout this period, she has maintained the honorary royal divorcee title Sarah, Duchess of York. Now, she reverts to her birth name of Ferguson.
"She will have lost a bit of cachet over this," said one monarchy expert. "She certainly does use the title – including her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."
But the loss of her title may impact her much less than the scandal she's dealing with independently about her own links with the convicted financier.
Last month, several charities removed her as patron after an email from 2011 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 multiple commercial enterprises.
And these ventures, are more probable to be affected by the Epstein scandal than any alteration in status, notes one monarchy analyst.
But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in royal circles. She has continued recovering strongly.
"She's the supreme perseverer and expert at transforming," said one royal author.
The Daughters
For Andrew and Sarah'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.
There is also no modification to the royal succession order.
Andrew remains eighth position to the throne, succeeded by his children Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth place respectively.
But in practice their positions are "distant" and will probably become much further down as years pass.
Coming Opportunities
The princesses are also presently non-working royals, and while they do sometimes take on roles – The younger princess was recently announced as a mentor for the monarch's charity program – experts also say they "don't envision a world" in which they would advance into official responsibilities.
"As far as Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, I think there's an understanding of the fact that this controversy 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 victims, they've had to endure quietly and have been composed in their reserve," states another royal author.
Final Impact
Ultimately, there appears to be little doubt that the individual who will be most impacted by these developments will be the Duke himself.
For a man who always liked the trappings of royalty, the ceremony and the ceremony, the loss of his titles is profoundly embarrassing.
So to not have those, on a individual basis, will significantly count.