🔗 Share this article

The saga started with a isolated photograph, arguably the most consequential ever taken of a royal family member.

Present was the Duke of York, standing closely beside a young woman, while another individual beamed knowingly in the backdrop.

Without that snapshot, taken at a social event in 2001, it would have been difficult to accept the allegations of a teenager who declared she was transported across the Atlantic and obliged to have cursory sexual encounters with a individual of the royal bloodline?

A strange, revealing gesture by someone who had overtly stated to have no known about her, asserted he could no have had sex with her, and yet handed over millions of his mother's resources to settle a long-delayed lawsuit.

Over a Decade of Controversy

Against this backdrop, discussions of the royal family acting firmly to cut Andrew off are misguided. This controversy has persisted for the majority of 15 years since that picture, and an additional snapshot of Andrew walking congenially with a notorious individual emerged.

• Hubris: How long did his siblings, maybe even his parents, know that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Questionable Associations: They must have known, if his employees and the police were fulfilling their roles, that he had some deeply disreputable companions given he unabashedly hosted them to estates.
• Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the monarchy did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his overspending with taxpayer funds.

Journeys were documented in public records: private aircraft transfers from the royal residence to a country club and back again in time for midday meal, private flights instead of regular transport, all for the benefit of "the frequent flyer".

Existence of Entitlement

Additionally the entitlement which required subservience when he appeared in a area or the profound consciousness about his designations used on his letterheads in letters to his personal acquaintances.

He avoided accountability while his parent, who strangely indulged him, was still surviving. The Queen did at least strip him of public duties and honorary colonelcies in the consequence of his catastrophic and, as revealed, deceptive television interview six years ago.

Latest Events

It was only in the last two weeks that events sped up, following the release of books giving more disturbing particulars of his conduct and that of his associates.

More information have again exposed Andrew's assumption that he could get away with deceiving about his interaction with a notorious figure.

The public (and the press) were far more perceptive of the royal family. There was no one of any significance to defend him, a outcome of all those years of presumption.

Royal Worries

The more astute royals understood that. The one imperative is to transfer the institution, if not as heretofore at least complete and untarnished.

They have spent the last 190 years trying to undo the reputation of past sovereigns, demonstrating they are beneficial, responsible and responsive to their people.

Andrew was putting all that in peril in an time when submission and discretion is no longer sufficient.

Aftermath

Ultimately, the well-known uncertain king was pushed more. There was no other option. The institution had relinquished authority of the story.

Currently the stripping of designations and the ongoing and life-long public humiliation that will afflict Andrew the most.

• Downgrading: Lowered to just a private citizen
• Prior Instance: The primary member to surrender his titles in contemporary era
• Armed Forces: Especially painful given his role in the conflict

He remains a constitutional officer, on paper able to act for the monarch, and he is still eighth in line to the crown, but none of these will ever come to pass.

Coming Developments

Can persons he meets still show respect to him? Will they still make mistakes and call him Your Highness? Might they say Mr,

Of course, he is not withdrawing to suburbia, but to the sovereign's large property at a royal residence.

There, he will be provided by the king with one of the royal residences and given some form of personal stipend.

This is not his previous residence, where he paid a nominal payment for more than 20 years, and Norfolk is a bit far, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed.

Pending Matters

The situation continues. There are still documents in the possession of US Congress to be revealed.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Could lawmakers request additional information
• Monetary Probe: Or examine the misuse of taxpayer funds
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a police investigation into his conduct

Perhaps for the time being the reputational impact to the monarchy is contained. The message from the royal household was plainly that the revocation of honorifics was what the king, and especially other senior monarchical figures, wanted.

A Shift in Position

An end to illusion that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, significantly, the brief communication showed plainly that the royals were supporting the complainant's account of occurrences.

Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they finally showed concern for the affected individuals: "The measures are considered essential, regardless of the fact that he continues to deny the accusations against him."

In the end it is arrogance, self-seeking and laziness that will kill the crown. In his stupidity, self-indulgence and corruption, Andrew appears never to have grasped that truth.