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The saga started with a isolated photograph, possibly the most consequential ever snapped of a member of the monarchy.

There stood the Duke of York, arm-in-arm a teenage girl, while another individual smiled conspiratorially in the rear.

Without that photograph, shot at a party in 2001, who would have believed the allegations of a young woman who stated she was moved across the sea and compelled to have brief intimate contact with a member of the monarchy?

A curious, indicative move by someone who had openly claimed to have never known about her, said he could no have had intimate contact with her, and yet paid a substantial sum of monarchical resources to resolve a long-delayed court action.

A Long Period of Scandal

Against this backdrop, talk of the monarchy acting swiftly to distance themselves from Andrew are inaccurate. This affair has continued for the better part of 15 years since that image, and a further image of Andrew strolling amiably with a convicted sex offender emerged.

• Hubris: To what extent did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his parents, know that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have understood, if his aides and the law enforcement were performing their duties, that he had some highly questionable companions given he publicly hosted them to royal residences.
• Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the monarchy did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his extravagance with public money.

Journeys were listed in royal annual reports: private aircraft travel from the royal residence to a sporting venue and back again in time for midday meal, private flights instead of regular transport, all for the convenience of "the frequent flyer".

A Life of Privilege

Then there was the arrogance which demanded subservience when he walked into a room or the extreme obsession about his designations used on his correspondence in messages to his friends.

He managed to escape consequences while his parent, who inexplicably indulged him, was still living. The Queen did at least strip him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the consequence of his disastrous and, as revealed, untruthful media appearance six years ago.

Current Situation

Merely in the last 14 days that events accelerated, following the release of biographical works giving more disturbing information of his conduct and that of his companions.

More information have again revealed Andrew's thinking that he could get away with being untruthful about his contact with a convicted criminal.

People (and the journalists) were far in advance of the monarchy. There was nobody of any significance to defend him, a result of all those years of arrogance.

Royal Worries

The more astute royals recognized that. The primary concern is to transfer the monarchy, if not as before at least intact and unstained.

They have spent the last 190 years trying to reverse the reputation of past sovereigns, demonstrating they are beneficial, dutiful and responsive to their citizens.

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

Aftermath

Ultimately, the well-known uncertain sovereign was pushed additional. There was little choice. The institution had relinquished authority of the narrative.

Presently the loss of honorifics and the ongoing and permanent public humiliation that will hurt Andrew most deeply.

• Downgrading: Lowered to just a private citizen
• Historical Precedent: The primary member to forfeit his honorifics in modern times
• Military Service: Particularly stinging given his duty in the Falklands war

He continues to be a constitutional officer, theoretically able to stand in for the king, and he is still eighth in line to the throne, but none of these will truly occur.

What Lies Ahead

Can persons he comes across still defer to him? Might they still make mistakes and call him Your Highness? Will they even say Mr,

Of course, he is not withdrawing to suburbia, but to the sovereign's extensive property at Sandringham.

There, he will be provided by the king with one of the grace and favour houses and given some form of private allowance.

This is not his prior accommodation, where he paid a minimal rent for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit far, but even so it may not be adequate distance.

Unresolved Issues

Matters remain unresolved. There are still records in the hands of US Congress to be revealed.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Could lawmakers demand more
• Monetary Probe: Or examine the misuse of state resources
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a police investigation into his conduct

Maybe for the moment the harm to the monarchy to the institution is restricted. The statement from the institution was clearly that the removal of honorifics was what the monarch, and particularly other senior monarchical figures, desired.

Changed Stance

The cessation of illusion that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, notably, the brief communication showed plainly that the royals were aligning with the accuser's version of events.

Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they finally showed concern for the affected individuals: "These actions are deemed necessary, despite the fact that he maintains his innocence of the allegations against him."

In the end it is arrogance, selfishness and indolence that will kill the institution. In his stupidity, personal excess and venality, Andrew seems never to have grasped that reality.