How Prince Andrew's Removal of Titles Means for Fergie, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
Prince Andrew's removal from the last vestiges of monarchical duties has not only reshaped his future - it's sending ripples through his immediate relatives too.
Fergie'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 transition will be the most apparent.
For all these years, she has maintained the honorary royal divorcee title Sarah, York Duchess. Now, she reverts to her maiden name of Ferguson.
"She will have lost a bit of cachet over this," noted one royal commentator. "She certainly utilizes the title – even her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."
But the loss of her title may impact her much less than the scandal she's facing separately about her own connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Recently, multiple organizations dropped her as ambassador after an email from over a decade ago revealed that she called Epstein her "supreme friend" and appeared to express regret for her public criticism of him.
Business Ventures and Philanthropy
Away from her philanthropy, Ferguson also has various business ventures.
And these ventures, are more likely to be affected by the Epstein scandal than any alteration in status, notes one royal commentator.
But Ferguson has been a great survivor in monarchical networks. She has continued recovering strongly.
"She's the supreme perseverer and expert at transforming," said one monarchy writer.
The Princesses
For the couple's two daughters, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, thirty-five, there's no formal change.
They continue to be known as royal princesses, which they have been granted since their birth.
There is also no modification to the line of succession.
The prince stays eighth position to the throne, succeeded by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth position respectively.
But in practice their standing are "distant" 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 take on roles – Princess Eugenie was recently named as a advisor for the monarch's charity program – experts also suggest they "can't see a world" in which they would step up into official responsibilities.
"Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, I think there's an understanding of the reality that this scandal doesn't involve them, and it's not fair for it to impact them personally in the separate paths they are building for themselves," explains one monarchy analyst.
"The princesses are most unfortunate victims, they've had to endure quietly and have been dignified in their silence," states another monarchy writer.
Final Impact
Ultimately, there seems to be little doubt that the individual who will be most impacted by all of this will be Prince Andrew himself.
For someone 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.