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

Royal Family Figures

The Duke'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 Title Change

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

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

For all these years, she has maintained the honorary royal divorcee title Sarah, York Duchess. Currently, she returns to her birth name of Ferguson.

"She will have lost a certain prestige over this," said one monarchy expert. "She certainly utilizes the title – including her social media profile is @SarahTheDuchess."

But the loss of her title may impact her much less than the controversy she's dealing with independently about her own connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

Last month, several charities dropped her as ambassador after an email 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

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

And these, too, are more probable to be affected by the Epstein scandal than any change in title, says one royal commentator.

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

"She is the supreme perseverer and master of reinvention," commented one royal author.

The Princesses

Princess Beatrice during occasion
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie pictured at a Coronation Big Lunch in last year

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

They continue to be referred to as royal princesses, which they have been entitled to since their birth.

Additionally there is no modification to the royal succession order.

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

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

Future Prospects

The princesses are also presently non-official royals, and while they do sometimes take on roles – The younger princess was recently announced as a mentor for the monarch's charity network – commentators also suggest they "can't see a world" in which they would step up into royal duties.

"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 affect them personally in the independent lives 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 silence," adds another monarchy writer.

Ultimate Consequences

In the end, there appears to be little doubt that the individual who will be most affected by all of this will be the Duke himself.

For someone who consistently enjoyed the trappings of royalty, the pomp and the pageantry, the loss of his titles is deeply humiliating.

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

Jeremy Becker
Jeremy Becker

A passionate traveler and writer sharing insights on off-the-beaten-path destinations and sustainable tourism.