What Prince Andrew's Titles Loss Signifies for Fergie, Beatrice and Eugenie
The Duke's removal from the final remnants of monarchical duties has not only reshaped his future - it's creating waves 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 change will be the most visible.
For all these years, she has kept the courtesy royal divorcee title 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 does use the title – including her social media profile is @TheDuchessSarah."
But the relinquishment of her status may impact her much less than the scandal she's facing separately about her own connections to the convicted financier.
Last month, several charities dropped her as ambassador after correspondence from over a decade ago showed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and appeared to express regret for her negative comments of him.
Business Ventures and Charity Work
Away from her charitable activities, Ferguson also has multiple commercial enterprises.
And these, too, are more probable to be impacted by the Epstein scandal than any alteration in status, says one royal commentator.
But Ferguson has been a great survivor in monarchical networks. 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, 37, and Eugenie, thirty-five, there's no formal change.
They continue to be known as royal princesses, which they have been granted since birth.
Additionally there is no change to the line of succession.
Andrew remains eighth position 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 time goes on.
Future Prospects
Beatrice and Eugenie are also currently non-official royals, and while they occasionally accept positions – The younger princess was recently announced as a advisor for the monarch's charity program – commentators also say they "don't envision a world" in which they would step up into royal duties.
"Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, I think there's an appreciation of the fact that this scandal doesn't involve them, and it's unjust for it to affect them personally in the separate paths they are building for themselves," explains one royal commentator.
"Their daughters are most unfortunate affected parties, they've had to suffer in silence and have been dignified in their silence," adds another monarchy writer.
Ultimate Consequences
Ultimately, there seems to be little doubt that the person who will be most impacted by all of this will be the Duke himself.
For someone who always liked the trappings of royalty, the pomp and the ceremony, the relinquishment of his honors is profoundly embarrassing.
So to not have these, on a personal level, will really matter.