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

There stood the Earl of Inverness, standing closely beside a teenage girl, while a companion grinned conspiratorially in the rear.

Absent that snapshot, captured at a party in 2001, few would have credited the claims of a adolescent who declared she was moved across the Atlantic and forced to have brief relations with a member of the royal family?

A curious, revealing gesture by someone who had overtly claimed to have never been aware of her, said he could not have had relations with her, and yet provided a substantial sum of monarchical money to settle a long-delayed legal case.

A Long Period of Disgrace

Considering this, discussions of the royal family acting firmly to distance themselves from Andrew are inaccurate. This affair has persisted for the majority of 15 years since that picture, and an additional photo of Andrew walking pleasantly with a disgraced financier came to light.

• Arrogance: How long did his siblings, possibly even his mother and father, realize that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have realized, if his staff and the police were doing their jobs, that he had some highly questionable companions given he unabashedly invited them to palaces.
• Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the monarchy did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with public money.

Travel were documented in official documents: chopper flights from the palace to a country club and back again in time for lunch, exclusive air travel instead of commercial flights, all for the comfort of "Airmiles Andy".

Existence of Entitlement

Furthermore the presumption which required respect when he walked into a space or the extreme obsession about his designations used on his letterheads in communication to his friends.

He managed to escape consequences while his matriarch, who unaccountably indulged him, was still living. The Queen did at least strip him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the aftermath of his disastrous and, as revealed, mendacious public statement six years ago.

Current Situation

It was only in the last two weeks that events accelerated, following the publication of biographical works giving more disturbing details of his conduct and that of his connections.

Additional revelations have again revealed Andrew's thinking that he could avoid deceiving about his contact with a convicted criminal.

Society (and the journalists) were far in advance of the royal family. There was not a single person of any consequence to defend him, a result of all those years of arrogance.

Institutional Fears

The more astute royals realized that. The one imperative is to transfer the institution, if not as heretofore at least intact and untarnished.

Over time the last 190 years trying to undo the reputation of past sovereigns, proving they are useful, accountable and responsive to their people.

His actions endangered all that in jeopardy in an era when respect and discretion is no longer enough.

The Fallout

Finally, the well-known uncertain king was pushed additional. There was no alternative. The royal household had relinquished authority of the story.

Now it is the removal of designations and the persistent and permanent social disgrace that will hurt Andrew most deeply.

• Downgrading: Demoted to just a commoner
• Past Example: The initial monarch to forfeit his honorifics in recent history
• Armed Forces: Especially stinging given his service in the engagement

He is still a constitutional officer, in principle able to substitute for the sovereign, and he is still in the lineage to the monarchy, but neither of these will ever come to pass.

What Lies Ahead

Do individuals he encounters still show respect to him? Will they still forget themselves and call him Your Highness? Would they say Sir,

Certainly, he is not retiring to an ordinary town, but to the sovereign's large estate at a monarchical property.

At that location, he will be furnished by the sovereign with one of the estate properties and given some form of personal stipend.

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

Outstanding Concerns

The situation continues. There are still documents in the possession of American legislators to be made public.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Will lawmakers request additional information
• Financial Investigation: Or investigate the misuse of public money
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a criminal probe into his behavior

Possibly for the moment the reputational impact to the institution is contained. The narrative from the institution was plainly that the revocation of designations was what the king, and especially other senior royals, wanted.

A Shift in Position

An end to pretence that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, significantly, the brief announcement showed evidently that the institution were supporting the victim's account of incidents.

Even more, for the premiere occasion they eventually showed regard for the affected individuals: "The measures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the reality that he maintains his innocence of the accusations against him."

Finally it is presumption, self-interest and indolence that will undermine the monarchy. In his foolishness, self-gratification and venality, Andrew seems never to have learned that reality.