How Prince Andrew's Removal of Titles Signifies for Fergie, Beatrice and Eugenie
The Duke's exit from the last vestiges of royal life has not only altered his path - it's sending ripples through his family too.
Fergie's Title Change
His ex-wife has now lost her duchess title and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.
For Sarah, sixty-six, the change will be the most visible.
For all these years, she has kept the courtesy royal post-marital designation Sarah, Duchess of York. Currently, she returns to her birth name of Ferguson.
"She will have lost a bit of cachet over this," said one royal commentator. "She definitely utilizes the title – including her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."
But the loss of her title 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 patron after correspondence from 2011 showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and seemed to apologise for her public criticism of him.
Professional Endeavors and Philanthropy
Separate from her charitable activities, Ferguson also has various business ventures.
And these, too, are more likely to be affected by the Epstein controversy than any change in title, says one royal commentator.
But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in monarchical networks. She's kept recovering strongly.
"She's the ultimate survivor and master of reinvention," said one monarchy writer.
The Princesses
For Andrew and Sarah's two daughters, Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Eugenie, thirty-five, there's no official alteration.
They will still be referred to as royal princesses, which they have been entitled to since their birth.
Additionally there is no change to the line of succession.
The prince stays eighth in line to the crown, followed by his children Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth position in that order.
But in practice their positions are "distant" and will likely become much further down as years pass.
Future Prospects
The princesses are also presently non-official royals, and while they do sometimes accept positions – The younger princess was recently announced as a mentor for the monarch's charity program – commentators also suggest they "can't see a world" in which they would step up into royal duties.
"As far as Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, I think there's an appreciation of the fact that this scandal doesn't involve them, and it's unjust for it to affect them personally in the independent lives they are building for themselves," says one royal commentator.
"The princesses are particularly unlucky affected parties, they've had to endure quietly and have been composed in their reserve," states another royal author.
Ultimate Consequences
Ultimately, there appears to be minimal uncertainty that the person who will be most impacted by these developments will be Prince Andrew himself.
For a man who always liked the trappings of royalty, the pomp and the pageantry, the loss of his titles is deeply humiliating.
So to not have those, on a personal level, will significantly count.