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

Royal Family Members

The Duke's exit from the final remnants of monarchical duties has not only altered his path - it's sending ripples through his family too.

Fergie's Title Change

His ex-wife has now surrendered her ducal status and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.

For Ferguson, sixty-six, the transition will be the most visible.

Throughout this period, she has kept the courtesy royal divorcee title Sarah, Duchess of York. Currently, she returns to her maiden name of Ferguson.

"She will have lost a certain prestige over this," noted one monarchy expert. "She certainly does use the title – including her Twitter bio is @TheDuchessSarah."

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 removed her as patron after an email from 2011 revealed that she called Epstein her "greatest ally" and appeared to express regret for her negative comments of him.

Business Ventures and Philanthropy

Away 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 alteration in status, notes one monarchy analyst.

But Ferguson has been a remarkable endure in royal circles. She has continued recovering strongly.

"She is the supreme perseverer and master of reinvention," said one monarchy writer.

The Princesses

Princess Eugenie at event
Princess Beatrice and Princess Beatrice pictured at a Coronation Big Lunch in 2023

For Andrew and Sarah's offspring, 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 modification to the line of succession.

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

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

Future Prospects

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

"Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie go, I think there's an understanding of the reality that this controversy doesn't involve them, and it's not fair for it to impact them personally in the independent lives they are building for themselves," says one royal commentator.

"The princesses are most unfortunate victims, they've had to suffer in silence and have been composed in their silence," states another royal author.

Final Impact

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

For a man who consistently enjoyed the royal privileges, the pomp and the pageantry, the loss of his titles is profoundly embarrassing.

So to not have these, on a personal level, will really matter.

Whitney Anderson
Whitney Anderson

A fiber artist and educator with over a decade of experience in traditional and modern weaving methods.