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It all began with a isolated photograph, possibly the most significant ever captured of a royal family member.

There stood the Earl of Inverness, arm-in-arm a female youth, while an associate grinned knowingly in the backdrop.

Absent that snapshot, taken at a party in 2001, who would have believed the claims of a young woman who declared she was trafficked across the ocean and obliged to have cursory sexual encounters with a individual of the royal family?

An odd, revealing gesture by someone who had overtly stated to have not been aware of her, asserted he could never have had relations with her, and yet paid a substantial sum of family money to settle a drawn-out court action.

A Long Period of Controversy

Against this backdrop, conversations of the monarchy acting firmly to cut Andrew off are wide of the mark. This controversy has endured for the largest portion of 15 years since that image, and a further image of Andrew ambling amiably with a notorious individual emerged.

• Hubris: How long did his brothers and sisters, perhaps even his parents, understand that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have realized, if his employees and the law enforcement were performing their duties, that he had some highly questionable companions given he unabashedly welcomed them to estates.
• Financial Extravagance: If the family did not know about his intimate behaviors, they certainly knew about his overspending with public money.

Journeys were printed in royal annual reports: chopper transfers from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for midday meal, private flights instead of commercial flights, all for the convenience of "the travel enthusiast".

Existence of Entitlement

Additionally the arrogance which required subservience when he entered a space or the extreme consciousness about his designations used on his letterheads in communication to his associates.

He could get away with it while his parent, who strangely pampered him, was still living. The Queen did at least strip him of official roles and military positions in the consequence of his disastrous and, we now know, deceptive public statement six years ago.

Current Situation

Just in the last two weeks that events accelerated, following the issuance of biographical works giving more grim details of his behavior and that of his companions.

More information have again highlighted Andrew's assumption that he could get away with deceiving about his relationship with a disgraced individual.

People (and the journalists) were far more perceptive of the monarchy. There was no one of any significance to speak up for him, a result of all those years of arrogance.

Monarchical Concerns

The more astute royals understood that. The primary concern is to hand down the crown, if not as before at least intact and untarnished.

For generations the last 190 years trying to reverse the image of previous monarchs, demonstrating they are useful, accountable and reactive to their citizens.

His actions endangered all that in peril in an age when respect and discretion is no longer sufficient.

Consequences

Finally, the well-known hesitant monarch was pushed additional. There was little choice. The palace had surrendered command of the account.

Presently the removal of honorifics and the persistent and permanent social disgrace that will hurt Andrew most deeply.

• Reduction: Demoted to just a private citizen
• Past Example: The primary member to lose his titles in modern times
• Armed Forces: Notably stinging given his duty in the conflict

He remains a royal advisor, theoretically able to act for the monarch, and he is still in the lineage to the crown, but neither of these will actually come to pass.

Future Prospects

Will people he comes across still defer to him? Could they still make mistakes and call him Sir? Might they say Mr,

Naturally, he is not retiring to suburbia, but to the royal family's extensive grounds at a royal residence.

There, he will be supplied by the sovereign with one of the grace and favour houses and given some sort of private allowance.

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

Pending Matters

This is not over. There are still files in the possession of American legislators to be revealed.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Might lawmakers request additional information
• Fiscal Review: Or investigate the waste of state resources
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his conduct

Perhaps for the moment the reputational impact to the monarchy is restricted. The message from the institution was clearly that the removal of designations was what the king, and especially other senior family members, sought.

Changed Stance

The cessation of illusion that Andrew was acting willingly. And, significantly, the short announcement showed evidently that the monarchy were siding with the complainant's narrative of incidents.

Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they ultimately showed regard for the affected individuals: "The censures are considered essential, regardless of the fact that he persists in refuting the claims against him."

Ultimately it is entitlement, self-seeking and indolence that will undermine the institution. In his stupidity, personal excess and corruption, Andrew appears never to have understood that truth.