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The saga started with a solitary photograph, perhaps the most impactful ever captured of a royal family member.

Present was the Earl of Inverness, standing closely beside a young woman, while a companion beamed suggestively in the background.

Without that photograph, captured at a party in 2001, who would have believed the allegations of a adolescent who declared she was moved across the ocean and forced to have brief relations with a prince of the monarchy?

An odd, indicative action by someone who had overtly asserted to have not heard of her, said he could not have had relations with her, and yet paid millions of his mother's money to avert a drawn-out court action.

Over a Decade of Disgrace

Against this backdrop, discussions of the royals acting swiftly to distance themselves from Andrew are inaccurate. This affair has persisted for the better part of 15 years since that photograph, and a further image of Andrew strolling pleasantly with a notorious individual came to light.

• Hubris: How long did his brothers and sisters, possibly even his parents, know that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Problematic Connections: They must have realized, if his employees and the police were doing their jobs, that he had some deeply disreputable companions given he openly hosted them to royal residences.
• Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the household did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his extravagance with public money.

Trips were printed in official documents: helicopter flights from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for midday meal, private flights instead of commercial flights, all for the benefit of "Airmiles Andy".

A Life of Privilege

Furthermore the arrogance which required respect when he entered a room or the profound awareness about his royal titles used on his letterheads in letters to his friends.

He could get away with it while his parent, who strangely pampered him, was still surviving. The sovereign did at least strip him of royal responsibilities and ceremonial ranks in the consequence of his disastrous and, as revealed, mendacious public statement six years ago.

Recent Developments

It was only in the last fortnight that events sped up, following the issuance of books giving more disturbing information of his conduct and that of his connections.

Additional revelations have again exposed Andrew's thinking that he could get away with being untruthful about his contact with a notorious figure.

The public (and the journalists) were far ahead of the monarchy. There was nobody of any consequence to defend him, a consequence of all those years of hubris.

Monarchical Concerns

The more intelligent monarchical figures understood that. The key objective is to transfer the crown, if not as previously at least whole and unblemished.

For generations the last 190 years trying to reverse the legacy of past sovereigns, showing they are valuable, accountable and responsive to their citizens.

Andrew was putting all that in jeopardy in an era when submission and privacy is no longer adequate.

Consequences

Eventually, the famously uncertain king was pushed additional. There was no other option. The institution had lost control of the account.

Now it is the removal of designations and the persistent and permanent public humiliation that will hurt Andrew most deeply.

• Demotion: Lowered to just a commoner
• Historical Precedent: The initial monarch to forfeit his titles in modern times
• Military Service: Notably stinging given his service in the conflict

He remains a royal advisor, in principle able to stand in for the king, and he is still eighth in line to the monarchy, but none of these will truly come to pass.

What Lies Ahead

Can persons he encounters still acknowledge him? Will they still make mistakes and call him Your Highness? Will they even say Sir,

Naturally, he is not retiring to suburbia, but to the sovereign's extensive property at Sandringham.

There, he will be supplied by the king with one of the estate properties and given some sort of financial support.

This differs from his former home, where he paid a nominal rent for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit far, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed.

Outstanding Concerns

This is not over. There are still records in the possession of overseas authorities to be revealed.

• Parliamentary Interest: Could lawmakers request additional information
• Fiscal Review: Or investigate the waste of taxpayer funds
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a criminal probe into his actions

Maybe for the time being the harm to the monarchy to the institution is restricted. The statement from the institution was evidently that the revocation of designations was what the monarch, and notably other senior family members, wanted.

Changed Stance

No more pretence that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, significantly, the short statement showed evidently that the monarchy were supporting the victim's narrative of occurrences.

Furthermore, for the initial instance they eventually showed consideration for the affected individuals: "The measures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the truth that he continues to deny the claims against him."

Ultimately it is entitlement, self-interest and inactivity that will destroy the institution. In his folly, self-indulgence and corruption, Andrew appears never to have learned that reality.