How the Duke's Removal of Titles Signifies for Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
The Duke's removal from the last vestiges of monarchical duties has not only reshaped his future - it's sending ripples through his immediate relatives too.
Sarah Ferguson's Title Change
His ex-wife has now lost her duchess title and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.
For Ferguson, 66, the change will be the most apparent.
Throughout this period, she has kept the courtesy royal divorcee title Sarah, York Duchess. Now, she reverts to her birth name of Ferguson.
"She will have lost a certain prestige over this," noted one monarchy expert. "She certainly utilizes the title – including her Twitter bio is @SarahTheDuchess."
But the loss of her title may affect her much less than the scandal she's facing separately about her own connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Last month, several charities dropped her as patron after correspondence from 2011 revealed 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 philanthropy, Ferguson also has various business ventures.
And these ventures, are more probable to be impacted by the Epstein controversy than any change in title, 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," commented one royal author.
The Princesses
For the couple's offspring, Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Eugenie, 35, there's no official alteration.
They will still be referred to as princesses, which they have been entitled to since birth.
There is also no change to the royal succession order.
The prince stays eighth in line to the crown, followed by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth position respectively.
But in reality their standing are "distant" and will probably become much further down as time goes on.
Coming Opportunities
Beatrice and Eugenie are also presently non-official royals, and while they occasionally accept positions – The younger princess was recently named as a mentor for the King's Foundation program – commentators also suggest they "can't see a scenario" in which they would advance into royal duties.
"Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned, 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 separate paths they are building for themselves," says one monarchy analyst.
"The princesses are particularly unlucky affected parties, they've had to suffer in silence and have been composed 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 these developments will be the Duke himself.
For someone who always liked the royal privileges, the ceremony and the ceremony, the loss of his titles is profoundly embarrassing.
So to not have these, on a personal level, will significantly count.