What the Duke's Titles Loss Signifies for Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

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

Sarah Ferguson's New Status

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

For Ferguson, sixty-six, the change will be the most apparent.

Throughout this period, she has kept the courtesy royal divorcee title Sarah, Duchess of York. Now, she reverts to her birth name of Ferguson.

"She has lost a certain prestige over this," noted one monarchy expert. "She certainly utilizes the title – including her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."

But the relinquishment of her status may affect her much less than the controversy she's dealing with independently about her own connections to the convicted financier.

Last month, multiple organizations dropped her as ambassador after an email from over a decade ago showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and seemed to apologise for her negative comments of him.

Professional Endeavors and Philanthropy

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

And these, too, are more probable to be affected by the Epstein controversy than any alteration in status, notes one royal commentator.

But Ferguson has been a great survivor in royal circles. She's kept recovering strongly.

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

The Princesses

For the couple's two daughters, Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Eugenie, 35, there's no official alteration.

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

Additionally there is no change to the royal succession order.

The prince stays eighth position to the throne, followed by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth position in that order.

But in practice their standing are "low down" and will likely become much further down as time goes on.

Coming Opportunities

The princesses are also currently non-official royals, and while they do sometimes accept positions – Princess Eugenie was recently named as a advisor for the monarch's charity network – experts also suggest they "can't see a world" in which they would advance into royal duties.

"Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie go, I think there's an appreciation of the reality that this controversy doesn't involve 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 royal author.

Final Impact

In the end, there appears to be little doubt that the person who will be most affected by these developments will be the Duke himself.

For a man who consistently enjoyed the royal privileges, the ceremony and the ceremony, the loss of his titles is deeply humiliating.

Therefore lacking those, on a personal level, will really matter.