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

In the frame appeared the Duke of York, standing closely beside a teenage girl, while another individual smiled suggestively in the rear.

Without that snapshot, shot at a party in 2001, few would have credited the assertions of a teenager who said she was trafficked across the ocean and forced to have cursory sexual encounters with a individual of the royal family?

A strange, indicative move by someone who had openly stated to have no heard of her, claimed he could not have had relations with her, and yet paid a substantial sum of his mother's resources to settle a protracted lawsuit.

A Long Period of Scandal

Against this backdrop, talk of the monarchy acting decisively to sever ties with Andrew are misguided. This scandal has endured for the better part of 15 years since that image, and a further image of Andrew walking amiably with a disgraced financier emerged.

• Hubris: How long did his siblings, maybe even his parents, realize that Andrew was so presumptuous?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have known, if his aides and the authorities were fulfilling their roles, that he had some deeply disreputable friends given he publicly hosted them to estates.
• Monetary Excess: If the household did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources.

Trips were documented in public records: private aircraft transfers from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for dining, exclusive air travel instead of scheduled services, all for the benefit of "the travel enthusiast".

World of Deference

Furthermore the entitlement which required subservience when he appeared in a space or the supreme obsession about his designations used on his official documents in communication to his associates.

He could get away with it while his mother, who strangely indulged him, was still surviving. The sovereign did at least remove him of official roles and military positions in the wake of his catastrophic and, we now know, deceptive public statement six years ago.

Current Situation

It was only in the last 14 days that events accelerated, following the release of accounts giving more troubling particulars of his behavior and that of his associates.

More information have again revealed Andrew's assumption that he could avoid deceiving about his interaction with a disgraced individual.

The public (and the media) were far in advance of the monarchy. There was no one of any importance to defend him, a result of all those years of hubris.

Institutional Fears

The more astute monarchical figures realized that. The one imperative is to hand down the monarchy, if not as heretofore at least whole and untarnished.

They have spent the last 190 years trying to reverse the reputation of previous monarchs, demonstrating they are valuable, accountable and responsive to their subjects.

His actions endangered all that in jeopardy in an era when deference and privacy is no longer adequate.

Aftermath

Ultimately, the well-known indecisive monarch was prodded more. There was no alternative. The royal household had lost control of the account.

Presently the loss of titles and the persistent and life-long public humiliation that will afflict Andrew most deeply.

• Reduction: Reduced to just a private citizen
• Historical Precedent: The first royal to forfeit his designations in modern times
• Naval Career: Especially stinging given his duty in the engagement

He remains a constitutional officer, in principle able to act for the monarch, and he is still in the succession to the crown, but none of these will ever occur.

Coming Developments

Can persons he meets still show respect to him? Will they still forget themselves and call him Sir? Might they say Sir,

Of course, he is not moving to an ordinary town, but to the royal family's large property at Sandringham.

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

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

Outstanding Concerns

Matters remain unresolved. There are still files in the possession of American legislators to be made public.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Could parliament request additional information
• Financial Investigation: Or investigate the misuse of state resources
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his actions

Maybe for the present the harm to the monarchy to the crown is contained. The statement from the royal household was evidently that the stripping of titles was what the monarch, and especially other senior royals, sought.

A Shift in Position

An end to deception that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, remarkably, the brief announcement showed clearly that the royals were aligning with the complainant's version of events.

Even more, for the initial instance they ultimately showed concern for the affected individuals: "These actions are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the truth that he continues to deny the allegations against him."

Ultimately it is presumption, selfishness and indolence that will undermine the institution. In his folly, self-gratification and corruption, Andrew appears never to have learned that lesson.