What Prince Andrew's Titles Loss Signifies for Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

Royal Family Members

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

Fergie's New Status

His ex-wife has now lost her duchess title and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.

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

For all these years, she has maintained the honorary royal post-marital designation Sarah, York Duchess. Currently, she returns to her birth name of Ferguson.

"She has lost a certain prestige over this," said one royal commentator. "She definitely utilizes the title – even her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."

But the relinquishment of her status may impact her much less than the scandal she's dealing with independently about her own links with Jeffrey Epstein.

Recently, several charities dropped her as patron after correspondence from 2011 revealed that she called Epstein her "supreme friend" and appeared to express regret for her public criticism of him.

Professional Endeavors and Philanthropy

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

And these ventures, are more probable to be impacted by the Epstein controversy than any change in title, says one royal commentator.

But Ferguson has been a great survivor in monarchical networks. She's kept recovering strongly.

"She is the ultimate survivor and expert at transforming," commented one royal author.

The Princesses

Princess Eugenie at event
Princess Beatrice and Princess Beatrice pictured at a royal celebration in 2023

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

They will still be referred to as princesses, which they have been granted since birth.

There is also no modification to the royal succession order.

Andrew remains eighth in line to the crown, followed 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 even more remote as years pass.

Future Prospects

The princesses are also presently non-official royals, and while they occasionally take on roles – Princess Eugenie 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.

"Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie go, I think there's an appreciation of the fact that this scandal isn't about them, and it's unjust for it to impact them directly in the independent lives they are carving out for themselves," explains one monarchy analyst.

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

Ultimate Consequences

In the end, there appears to be minimal uncertainty that the person who will be most impacted by these developments will be the Duke himself.

For someone who consistently enjoyed the royal privileges, the ceremony and the pageantry, the relinquishment of his honors is deeply humiliating.

So to not have these, on a personal level, will significantly count.

Jacob Mora
Jacob Mora

Tech enthusiast and business strategist with over a decade of experience in digital transformation and innovation.