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

York Family Members

The Duke's removal from the last vestiges of royal life has not only reshaped his future - it's sending ripples through his family too.

Fergie's Title Change

The former spouse has now surrendered her ducal status and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.

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

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

"She has lost a bit of cachet over this," noted one monarchy expert. "She definitely utilizes the title – even her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."

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

Recently, multiple organizations dropped her as patron after correspondence from 2011 showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and seemed to apologise for her negative comments of him.

Professional Endeavors and Charity Work

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

And these ventures, are more likely to be affected by the Epstein controversy than any change in title, notes one royal commentator.

But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in monarchical networks. She has continued bouncing back.

"She's the ultimate survivor and expert at transforming," commented one monarchy writer.

The Princesses

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

For Andrew and Sarah's offspring, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, there's no official alteration.

They will still be known as princesses, which they have been entitled to since their birth.

There is also no change to the line of succession.

The prince stays eighth in line to the crown, followed by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth position respectively.

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

Future Prospects

Beatrice and Eugenie are also currently non-official royals, and while they occasionally take on roles – Princess Eugenie was recently named as a mentor for the King's Foundation network – commentators also suggest they "don't envision a world" in which they would advance into royal duties.

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

"The princesses are most unfortunate affected parties, they've had to endure quietly and have been composed in their reserve," adds another monarchy writer.

Ultimate Consequences

Ultimately, there seems to be little doubt that the individual 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 pomp and the ceremony, the relinquishment of his honors is profoundly embarrassing.

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

Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown

A seasoned travel writer and tech enthusiast, passionate about sustainable tourism and digital nomad lifestyles.