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It all began with a solitary photograph, possibly the most significant ever snapped of a member of the monarchy.

In the frame appeared the Duke of York, standing closely beside a teenage girl, while another individual grinned knowingly in the background.

Lacking that image, shot at a party in 2001, few would have credited the claims of a young woman who declared she was moved across the sea and forced to have perfunctory intimate contact with a prince of the royal family?

A strange, telling action by someone who had overtly stated to have not heard of her, claimed he could never have had sex with her, and yet provided millions of his mother's resources to avert a protracted lawsuit.

Over a Decade of Controversy

In this context, talk of the royal family acting decisively to cut Andrew off are inaccurate. This affair has continued for the largest portion of 15 years since that image, and another image of Andrew ambling congenially with a convicted sex offender surfaced.

• Self-importance: To what extent did his siblings, possibly even his parents, realize that Andrew was so presumptuous?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have known, if his employees and the law enforcement were performing their duties, that he had some extremely unsavory associates given he publicly welcomed them to royal residences.
• Financial Extravagance: If the household did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources.

Trips were printed in official documents: private aircraft travel from the estate to a sporting venue and back again in time for midday meal, exclusive air travel instead of scheduled services, all for the convenience of "the frequent flyer".

A Life of Privilege

Additionally the presumption which expected subservience when he entered a room or the supreme obsession about his designations used on his official documents in communication to his personal acquaintances.

He could get away with it while his matriarch, who strangely pampered him, was still surviving. The monarch did at least revoke him of public duties and honorary colonelcies in the aftermath of his disastrous and, we now know, deceptive television interview six years ago.

Current Situation

Just in the last 14 days that events progressed rapidly, following the issuance of biographical works giving more grim information of his conduct and that of his companions.

Additional revelations have again exposed Andrew's assumption that he could avoid deceiving about his interaction with a disgraced individual.

The public (and the journalists) were far more perceptive of the royals. There was nobody of any importance to defend him, a consequence of all those years of presumption.

Royal Worries

The more intelligent monarchical figures realized that. The one imperative is to pass on the monarchy, if not as previously at least whole and untarnished.

Over time the last 190 years trying to undo the legacy of past sovereigns, showing they are valuable, accountable and attentive to their subjects.

He was placing all that in danger in an time when deference and discretion is no longer adequate.

Consequences

Eventually, the well-known uncertain sovereign was prodded additional. There was little choice. The palace had lost control of the narrative.

Presently the stripping of designations and the ongoing and permanent social disgrace that will hurt Andrew the most.

• Downgrading: Lowered to just a commoner
• Prior Instance: The first royal to surrender his honorifics in recent history
• Naval Career: Notably painful given his duty in the conflict

He continues to be a royal advisor, on paper able to stand in for the king, and he is still in the succession to the monarchy, but not any of these will ever occur.

Coming Developments

Do individuals he meets still acknowledge him? Could they still slip up and call him Prince? Will they even say Sir,

Of course, he is not retiring to a common area, but to the sovereign's extensive estate at a royal residence.

There, he will be provided by the king with one of the royal residences and given some sort of personal stipend.

This differs from his prior accommodation, where he paid a minimal payment for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit far, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed.

Unresolved Issues

This is not over. There are still records in the custody of overseas authorities to be made public.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Will parliament demand more
• Financial Investigation: Or examine the misuse of state resources
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his actions

Perhaps for the moment the reputational impact to the institution is limited. The statement from the royal household was evidently that the revocation of honorifics was what the sovereign, and notably other senior monarchical figures, wanted.

Altered Approach

No more deception that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, notably, the concise statement showed plainly that the royals were supporting the complainant's version of incidents.

Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they ultimately showed consideration for the affected individuals: "These actions are judged required, notwithstanding the reality that he maintains his innocence of the allegations against him."

Ultimately it is arrogance, self-seeking and indolence that will undermine the institution. In his stupidity, self-gratification and corruption, Andrew seems never to have grasped that truth.