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This episode commenced with a isolated photograph, possibly the most impactful ever snapped of a royal family member.

Present was the Duke of York, standing closely beside a young woman, while a companion grinned conspiratorially in the background.

Without that photograph, taken at a party in 2001, who would have believed the assertions of a young woman who said she was transported across the sea and forced to have cursory relations with a member of the royal family?

A curious, revealing gesture by someone who had openly stated to have not been aware of her, said he could no have had relations with her, and yet provided a substantial sum of monarchical money to resolve a drawn-out court action.

Over a Decade of Controversy

Considering this, conversations of the monarchy acting firmly to cut Andrew off are inaccurate. This controversy has endured for the largest portion of 15 years since that picture, and a further snapshot of Andrew ambling amiably with a disgraced financier surfaced.

• Hubris: To what extent did his family members, maybe even his parents, understand that Andrew was so arrogant?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have known, if his staff and the police were performing their duties, that he had some highly questionable associates given he publicly welcomed them to royal residences.
• Financial Extravagance: If the monarchy did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources.

Trips were listed in public records: private aircraft travel from the royal residence to a country club and back again in time for midday meal, chartered planes instead of scheduled services, all for the benefit of "Airmiles Andy".

Existence of Entitlement

Then there was the entitlement which required subservience when he appeared in a area or the extreme obsession about his honorifics used on his official documents in communication to his associates.

He could get away with it while his matriarch, who inexplicably pampered him, was still living. The monarch did at least remove him of royal responsibilities and honorary colonelcies in the aftermath of his ill-fated and, we now know, mendacious media appearance six years ago.

Current Situation

Just in the last fortnight that events progressed rapidly, following the issuance of books giving more troubling particulars of his actions and that of his connections.

More information have again exposed Andrew's thinking that he could get away with being untruthful about his contact with a disgraced individual.

Society (and the press) were far ahead of the royals. There was no one of any consequence to defend him, a outcome of all those years of hubris.

Monarchical Concerns

The wiser royals realized that. The key objective is to hand down the crown, if not as previously at least intact and untarnished.

Over time the last 190 years trying to reverse the image of past sovereigns, demonstrating they are valuable, dutiful and reactive to their citizens.

Andrew was putting all that in peril in an era when respect and discretion is no longer adequate.

Aftermath

Ultimately, the well-known indecisive king was pushed more. There was little choice. The royal household had surrendered command of the account.

Now it is the removal of titles and the persistent and permanent social disgrace that will pain Andrew most severely.

• Downgrading: Reduced to just a commoner
• Past Example: The first monarch to forfeit his honorifics in contemporary era
• Military Service: Particularly painful given his role in the conflict

He remains a royal advisor, on paper able to substitute for the king, and he is still in the succession to the throne, but none of these will truly happen.

Coming Developments

Can persons he comes across still show respect to him? Could they still forget themselves and call him Sir? Will they even say Sir,

Naturally, he is not retiring to a common area, but to the royal family's extensive grounds at Sandringham.

In that place, he will be furnished by the sovereign with one of the estate properties and given some form of private allowance.

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

Unresolved Issues

The situation continues. There are still records in the hands of US Congress to be made public.

• Political Pressure: Could parliament request additional information
• Financial Investigation: Or scrutinize the misuse of public money
• Legal Possibility: There may even be a criminal probe into his behavior

Possibly for the moment the reputational impact to the monarchy is limited. The message from the institution was clearly that the removal of titles was what the monarch, and especially other senior monarchical figures, wanted.

A Shift in Position

No more illusion that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, significantly, the brief announcement showed clearly that the monarchy were siding with the accuser's narrative of occurrences.

Even more, for the initial instance they eventually showed consideration for the affected individuals: "These actions are deemed necessary, despite the truth that he continues to deny the claims against him."

Finally it is presumption, selfishness and inactivity that will kill the monarchy. In his foolishness, self-gratification and venality, Andrew appears never to have grasped that truth.