Sarah Ferguson will no longer use her “Duchess of York” title following her ex-husband Prince Andrew’s decision to drop his royal titles amid the ongoing fallout from his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
On Friday, October 17, Prince Andrew released a statement confirming he would be giving up several royal honours.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” a message on the Buckingham Palace website read.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”
Prince Andrew continued, “With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
In the wake of the announcement, People reported that Ferguson, 66, will also drop her “Duchess of York” title entirely.
According to HELLO! Magazine, Ferguson has backed her ex-husband’s decision.
“She will always support her former husband’s decisions and do anything for the King. For her this will not make a big difference,” the outlet reported.
While she has used the name “Sarah Ferguson” professionally for years, she will now adopt it across all areas of her life, officially leaving her royal title behind.
Ferguson and Prince Andrew were married from 1986 to 1996 and share two daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35. Their royal titles will not be affected.
The decision marks another chapter in the royal family’s ongoing efforts to distance itself from the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s links to Epstein.
The disgraced financier was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in jail that same year.
In recent weeks, renewed attention has been drawn to Andrew following the release of Nobody’s Girl, the memoir by the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to the royal when she was a minor.
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