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This episode commenced with a solitary photograph, perhaps the most impactful ever taken of a royal family member.

Present was the Duke of York, standing closely beside a female youth, while a companion beamed suggestively in the background.

Lacking that image, captured at a party in 2001, who would have believed the assertions of a teenager who stated she was moved across the Atlantic and obliged to have cursory sexual encounters with a prince of the monarchy?

A strange, revealing move by someone who had publicly asserted to have never known about her, asserted he could never have had intimate contact with her, and yet handed over a large amount of monarchical money to avert a drawn-out legal case.

Over a Decade of Disgrace

Against this backdrop, discussions of the royal family acting decisively to cut Andrew off are wide of the mark. This scandal has persisted for the better part of 15 years since that image, and a further image of Andrew ambling amiably with a convicted sex offender emerged.

• Hubris: For what duration did his brothers and sisters, possibly even his mother and father, understand that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have realized, if his employees and the police were performing their duties, that he had some deeply disreputable friends given he publicly welcomed them to palaces.
• Monetary Excess: If the household did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources.

Journeys were documented in public records: helicopter travel from the estate to a golf course and back again in time for lunch, private flights instead of commercial flights, all for the benefit of "the travel enthusiast".

Existence of Entitlement

Furthermore the entitlement which demanded subservience when he appeared in a area or the profound consciousness about his designations used on his correspondence in communication to his personal acquaintances.

He could get away with it while his parent, who strangely spoiled him, was still living. The sovereign did at least remove him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the aftermath of his catastrophic and, as revealed, untruthful public statement six years ago.

Recent Developments

It was only in the last 14 days that events sped up, following the publication of books giving more disturbing details of his behavior and that of his companions.

More information have again revealed Andrew's thinking that he could get away with lying about his contact with a notorious figure.

People (and the journalists) were far ahead of the royal family. There was nobody of any significance to defend him, a outcome of all those years of arrogance.

Monarchical Concerns

The more intelligent monarchical figures understood that. The key objective is to hand down the monarchy, if not as heretofore at least complete and untarnished.

Over time the last 190 years trying to reverse the legacy of earlier rulers, demonstrating they are valuable, dutiful and reactive to their citizens.

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

Aftermath

Eventually, the notoriously indecisive sovereign was pressured further. There was no other option. The royal household had surrendered command of the account.

Now it is the loss of honorifics and the persistent and life-long personal shame that will hurt Andrew most deeply.

• Reduction: Reduced to just a commoner
• Prior Instance: The primary royal to lose his designations in recent history
• Armed Forces: Especially painful given his service in the engagement

He continues to be a royal advisor, theoretically able to act for the king, and he is still in the lineage to the throne, but not any of these will ever happen.

What Lies Ahead

Will people he meets still acknowledge him? Will they still slip up and call him Sir? Will they even say Andrew,

Naturally, he is not moving to suburbia, but to the sovereign's large grounds at a monarchical property.

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

This differs from his former home, where he paid a minimal payment for more than 20 years, and Norfolk is a bit far, but even so it may not be adequate distance.

Outstanding Concerns

Matters remain unresolved. There are still files in the hands of US Congress to be revealed.

• Parliamentary Interest: Will parliament seek further action
• Monetary Probe: Or scrutinize the misuse of taxpayer funds
• Criminal Investigation: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his actions

Perhaps for the moment the institutional damage to the monarchy is restricted. The narrative from the royal household was plainly that the removal of designations was what the sovereign, and especially other senior family members, sought.

Altered Approach

An end to pretence that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, significantly, the concise announcement showed clearly that the monarchy were aligning with the complainant's account of events.

Additionally, for the premiere occasion they ultimately showed regard for the affected individuals: "The censures are judged required, notwithstanding the truth that he maintains his innocence of the claims against him."

Ultimately it is arrogance, self-seeking and laziness that will destroy the monarchy. In his foolishness, personal excess and greed, Andrew gives the impression never to have grasped that reality.