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It all began with a single photograph, perhaps the most significant ever captured of a individual from the royal household.

Present was the Duke of York, standing closely beside a female youth, while another individual beamed conspiratorially in the backdrop.

Absent that snapshot, shot at a gathering in 2001, few would have credited the claims of a adolescent who declared she was trafficked across the Atlantic and compelled to have cursory intimate contact with a prince of the monarchy?

A strange, indicative action by someone who had openly claimed to have no known about her, said he could never have had intimate contact with her, and yet provided a substantial sum of his mother's resources to resolve a drawn-out lawsuit.

Over a Decade of Scandal

Against this backdrop, conversations of the royal family acting firmly to distance themselves from Andrew are inaccurate. This scandal has endured for the majority of 15 years since that image, and another image of Andrew ambling amiably with a notorious individual came to light.

• Arrogance: How long did his family members, possibly even his relatives, understand that Andrew was so arrogant?
• Questionable Associations: They must have understood, if his employees and the law enforcement were performing their duties, that he had some extremely unsavory associates given he publicly invited them to palaces.
• Financial Extravagance: If the monarchy did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with public money.

Journeys were listed in public records: chopper flights from the palace to a country club and back again in time for dining, exclusive air travel instead of regular transport, all for the benefit of "Airmiles Andy".

A Life of Privilege

Then there was the presumption which required subservience when he entered a space or the profound awareness about his designations used on his correspondence in letters to his friends.

He could get away with it while his parent, who unaccountably indulged him, was still living. The sovereign did at least remove him of official roles and ceremonial ranks in the consequence of his ill-fated and, it is now clear, untruthful media appearance six years ago.

Current Situation

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

Further disclosures have again revealed Andrew's assumption that he could escape lying about his relationship with a disgraced individual.

The public (and the media) were far in advance of the royals. There was not a single person of any consequence to defend him, a consequence of all those years of presumption.

Monarchical Concerns

The more intelligent monarchical figures understood that. The key objective is to pass on the institution, if not as previously at least complete and untarnished.

Over time the last 190 years trying to overcome the reputation of previous monarchs, proving they are valuable, accountable and responsive to their people.

Andrew was putting all that in danger in an era when respect and secrecy is no longer sufficient.

Consequences

Finally, the famously hesitant sovereign was pressured additional. There was no other option. The royal household had surrendered command of the narrative.

Presently the loss of designations and the continued and life-long social disgrace that will hurt Andrew the most.

• Demotion: Reduced to just a commoner
• Prior Instance: The first royal to forfeit his honorifics in recent history
• Military Service: Especially hurtful given his role in the conflict

He is still a constitutional officer, theoretically able to stand in for the sovereign, and he is still in the succession to the monarchy, but not any of these will actually come to pass.

Coming Developments

Will people he encounters still acknowledge him? Will they still slip up and call him Your Highness? Would they say Andrew,

Of course, he is not retiring to a common area, but to the royal family's large estate at Sandringham.

At that location, he will be supplied by the king with one of the royal residences and given some type of personal stipend.

This is not his former home, where he paid a token lease for more than 20 years, and Norfolk is a bit distant, but even so it may not be adequate distance.

Unresolved Issues

The situation continues. There are still documents in the custody of American legislators to be disclosed.

• Parliamentary Interest: Could parliament demand more
• Fiscal Review: Or scrutinize the waste of taxpayer funds
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a criminal probe into his behavior

Possibly for the time being the reputational impact to the crown is contained. The narrative from the royal household was clearly that the removal of titles was what the monarch, and notably other senior royals, sought.

Altered Approach

An end to illusion that Andrew was acting willingly. And, notably, the brief communication showed plainly that the monarchy were siding with the complainant's account of incidents.

Even more, for the initial instance they finally showed regard for the survivors: "The measures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the truth that he persists in refuting the accusations against him."

In the end it is presumption, self-seeking and laziness that will destroy the monarchy. In his stupidity, self-gratification and venality, Andrew gives the impression never to have understood that lesson.