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It all began with a single photograph, arguably the most consequential ever taken of a individual from the royal household.

In the frame appeared the Earl of Inverness, with his arm around a young woman, while another individual beamed suggestively in the rear.

Absent that photograph, shot at a party in 2001, who would have believed the assertions of a teenager who stated she was moved across the sea and forced to have cursory intimate contact with a member of the royal family?

A curious, indicative move by someone who had overtly claimed to have no been aware of her, asserted he could no have had sex with her, and yet handed over a substantial sum of monarchical funds to avert a drawn-out legal case.

A Long Period of Scandal

In this context, talk of the royal family acting firmly to distance themselves from Andrew are wide of the mark. This affair has endured for the largest portion of 15 years since that picture, and an additional photo of Andrew ambling pleasantly with a notorious individual came to light.

• Self-importance: To what extent did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his parents, know that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Questionable Associations: They must have understood, if his aides and the police were fulfilling their roles, that he had some highly questionable companions given he unabashedly invited them to royal residences.
• Monetary Excess: If the monarchy did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his extravagance with public money.

Journeys were printed in official documents: private aircraft travel from the royal residence to a golf course and back again in time for midday meal, exclusive air travel instead of regular transport, all for the benefit of "the frequent flyer".

Existence of Entitlement

Additionally the arrogance which expected respect when he appeared in a space or the extreme awareness about his designations used on his letterheads in messages to his friends.

He avoided accountability while his matriarch, who unaccountably indulged him, was still surviving. The monarch did at least remove him of official roles and honorary colonelcies in the consequence of his catastrophic and, as revealed, mendacious public statement six years ago.

Latest Events

Merely in the last fortnight that events sped up, following the release of books giving more disturbing details of his conduct and that of his connections.

Further disclosures have again highlighted Andrew's assumption that he could escape being untruthful about his contact with a disgraced individual.

Society (and the journalists) were far ahead of the monarchy. There was nobody of any consequence to speak up for him, a outcome of all those years of hubris.

Monarchical Concerns

The more intelligent royals realized that. The primary concern is to hand down the institution, if not as previously at least whole and unstained.

Over time the last 190 years trying to undo the legacy of past sovereigns, showing they are beneficial, dutiful and reactive to their citizens.

His actions endangered all that in jeopardy in an time when submission and discretion is no longer enough.

Consequences

Finally, the notoriously indecisive sovereign was pressured further. There was no alternative. The institution had relinquished authority of the narrative.

Presently the removal of honorifics and the continued and life-long public humiliation that will hurt Andrew most deeply.

• Reduction: Lowered to just a private citizen
• Prior Instance: The primary royal to lose his designations in modern times
• Armed Forces: Particularly painful given his role in the engagement

He continues to be a constitutional officer, theoretically able to substitute for the sovereign, and he is still in the lineage to the crown, but not any of these will ever occur.

Coming Developments

Can persons he encounters still show respect to him? Could they still slip up and call him Your Highness? Would they say Mr,

Certainly, he is not withdrawing to a common area, but to the royal family's vast estate at Sandringham.

There, he will be furnished by the monarch with one of the grace and favour houses and given some type of financial support.

This differs from his previous residence, where he paid a token payment for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit remote, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed.

Unresolved Issues

Matters remain unresolved. There are still documents in the custody of overseas authorities to be revealed.

• Political Pressure: Might lawmakers demand more
• Fiscal Review: Or examine the misuse of state resources
• Criminal Investigation: There may even be a police investigation into his actions

Possibly for the present the harm to the monarchy to the institution is limited. The statement from the institution was clearly that the revocation of titles was what the sovereign, and especially other senior family members, sought.

Altered Approach

No more deception that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, remarkably, the concise communication showed clearly that the monarchy were supporting the complainant's version of events.

Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they ultimately showed concern for the victims: "These actions are judged required, regardless of the truth that he persists in refuting the accusations against him."

Finally it is presumption, selfishness and laziness that will undermine the crown. In his folly, self-gratification and corruption, Andrew gives the impression never to have learned that truth.