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It all began with a isolated photograph, possibly the most consequential ever snapped of a royal family member.

There stood the Baron Killyleagh, standing closely beside a young woman, while a companion beamed suggestively in the backdrop.

Lacking that snapshot, shot at a social event in 2001, who would have believed the claims of a teenager who declared she was moved across the Atlantic and compelled to have brief intimate contact with a individual of the monarchy?

A strange, indicative move by someone who had openly claimed to have no been aware of her, said he could no have had relations with her, and yet provided a substantial sum of monarchical funds to resolve a long-delayed court action.

A Long Period of Scandal

Against this backdrop, talk of the monarchy acting swiftly to cut Andrew off are inaccurate. This affair has continued for the better part of 15 years since that image, and an additional image of Andrew ambling pleasantly with a convicted sex offender came to light.

• Self-importance: For what duration did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his parents, know that Andrew was so arrogant?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have known, if his employees and the law enforcement were fulfilling their roles, that he had some extremely unsavory associates given he openly hosted them to royal residences.
• Financial Extravagance: If the monarchy did not know about his intimate behaviors, they certainly knew about his extravagance with state resources.

Trips were listed in official documents: private aircraft transfers from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for dining, private flights instead of scheduled services, all for the comfort of "the frequent flyer".

Existence of Entitlement

Then there was the presumption which expected deference when he walked into a area or the profound obsession about his honorifics used on his official documents in letters to his friends.

He managed to escape consequences while his parent, who strangely spoiled him, was still alive. The Queen did at least revoke him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the wake of his catastrophic and, it is now clear, deceptive television interview six years ago.

Latest Events

It was only in the last two weeks that events progressed rapidly, following the issuance of accounts giving more disturbing information of his conduct and that of his associates.

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

Society (and the media) were far ahead of the monarchy. There was not a single person of any consequence to defend him, a outcome of all those years of presumption.

Monarchical Concerns

The wiser family members understood that. The primary concern is to hand down the monarchy, if not as previously at least complete and unblemished.

They have spent the last 190 years trying to undo the legacy of past sovereigns, proving they are valuable, accountable and attentive to their people.

He was placing all that in peril in an age when respect and privacy is no longer sufficient.

Aftermath

Finally, the well-known indecisive king was prodded further. There was no other option. The institution had lost control of the story.

Now it is the loss of honorifics and the ongoing and permanent public humiliation that will pain Andrew most severely.

• Downgrading: Lowered to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor
• Prior Instance: The primary royal to lose his titles in contemporary era
• Armed Forces: Particularly stinging given his role in the Falklands war

He continues to be a royal advisor, theoretically able to substitute for the sovereign, and he is still eighth in line to the monarchy, but not any of these will actually happen.

What Lies Ahead

Can persons he comes across still acknowledge him? Could they still forget themselves and call him Your Highness? Would they say Sir,

Naturally, he is not retiring to a common area, but to the monarchy's large estate at Sandringham.

In that place, he will be supplied by the monarch with one of the grace and favour houses and given some form of financial support.

This differs from his previous residence, where he paid a minimal rent for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit far, but even so it may not be far enough.

Outstanding Concerns

Matters remain unresolved. There are still files in the possession of overseas authorities to be revealed.

• Parliamentary Interest: Will lawmakers seek further action
• Fiscal Review: Or examine the misuse of public money
• Criminal Investigation: There may even be a police investigation into his behavior

Maybe for the time being the reputational impact to the crown is limited. The message from the royal household was clearly that the stripping of designations was what the monarch, and notably other senior monarchical figures, sought.

A Shift in Position

The cessation of pretence that Andrew was acting willingly. And, significantly, the concise statement showed clearly that the institution were aligning with the accuser's narrative of occurrences.

Furthermore, for the first time they finally showed regard for the survivors: "These actions are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the truth that he continues to deny the accusations against him."

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