When Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lost the use of his Duke of York and prince titles over his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in October 2025, it had ramifications for the rest of his family too.
With two daughters and an ex-wife, the changes raised questions about their titles too.
- What will the Prince of Wales be known as when he is King?
- What will the Princess of Wales be known as when she becomes queen?
Will Beatrice and Eugenie still be princesses?
Andrew’s daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, will continue to have the title of princess. They have been entitled to these titles since birth because they are grandchildren of a monarch – and there will be no change to the line of succession.
Andrew remains eighth in line to the crown – after the Prince of Wales (Prince William), Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, The Duke of Sussex (Harry), Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Beatrice and Eugenie are in ninth and twelfth place respectively.
They are still non-working royals, although they do sometimes take part in royal activity. Although Andrew will no longer join the King and the rest of the Royal Family at Christmas at Sandringham, his daughters may possibly still attend.
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What about Sarah Ferguson? Is she still Duchess of York?
In short, no. After her ex-husband Andrew lost his royal titles, Sarah Ferguson stopped using her Duchess of York title too, removing it from her social media profiles and official documentation, where she is now referred to as Sarah Ferguson, her maiden name.
Even if she had wanted to, she could not have kept the Duchess of York title, as Prince Andrew has surrendered his title of Duke of York, and hers was a courtesy title. Royal protocol dictates that if a principal no longer holds their title, the former spouse loses their courtesy title too.
Ferguson’s name has undergone some transformation over the years, due to her relationship with Andrew.
When Sarah Ferguson married Andrew in 1986, she became Duchess of York.
After divorce, however, the married spouse loses their HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) designation. After her 1996 divorce from Prince Charles, Diana’s title changed from Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales to Diana, Princess of Wales. The loss of the HRH title meant she was no longer considered a direct member of the Royal Family in the same way, and had to curtsy to others with the HRH title, including her sons.
After Sarah and Andrew’s divorce in 1996 (following their separation in 1992), she maintained her Duchess of York title, but was no longer able to use the HRH title.
Top image: Princess Beatrice, Sarah Ferguson and Princess Eugenie attend The Anti Slavery Collective's inaugural Winter Gala at Battersea Arts Centre (credit: Getty Images)
