🔗 Share this article

Prince Andrew's exit from the final remnants of monarchical duties has not only altered his path - it's creating waves through his family too.

Sarah Ferguson's New Status

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

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

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

"She has lost a bit of cachet over this," said one royal commentator. "She certainly utilizes the title – even her social media profile is @SarahTheDuchess."

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

Last month, multiple organizations removed her as patron after an email from 2011 showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and seemed to apologise for her negative comments of him.

Business Ventures and Charity Work

Away 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 royal commentator.

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

"She's the supreme perseverer and expert at transforming," commented one monarchy writer.

The Princesses

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

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

There is also no modification to the line of succession.

The prince stays eighth position to the throne, followed by his children Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth place respectively.

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

Coming Opportunities

Beatrice and Eugenie are also currently non-working royals, and while they occasionally accept positions – The younger princess was recently announced as a mentor for the monarch's charity network – experts also say they "don't envision a scenario" in which they would step up into official responsibilities.

"Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie go, I think there's an understanding of the fact that this controversy doesn't involve them, and it's unjust for it to impact them directly in the separate paths they are building for themselves," says one royal commentator.

"Their daughters are particularly unlucky victims, they've had to endure quietly and have been dignified in their reserve," adds another monarchy writer.

Final Impact

Ultimately, there seems to be little doubt that the person who will be most affected by all of this will be the Duke himself.

For a man who always liked the trappings of royalty, the pomp and the ceremony, the relinquishment of his honors is deeply humiliating.

So to not have those, on a individual basis, will really matter.