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It all began with a isolated photograph, arguably the most significant ever captured of a royal family member.

There stood the Duke of York, arm-in-arm a teenage girl, while another individual smiled conspiratorially in the rear.

Without that image, shot at a social event in 2001, it would have been difficult to accept the assertions of a young woman who declared she was transported across the ocean and compelled to have perfunctory relations with a individual of the royal family?

A curious, indicative action by someone who had publicly claimed to have no heard of her, said he could no have had relations with her, and yet provided a large amount of family money to settle a long-delayed court action.

A Long Period of Controversy

Considering this, talk of the royal family acting swiftly to distance themselves from Andrew are misguided. This controversy has endured for the largest portion of 15 years since that picture, and another photo of Andrew walking congenially with a convicted sex offender came to light.

• Hubris: To what extent did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his parents, realize that Andrew was so arrogant?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have known, if his employees and the law enforcement were doing their jobs, that he had some highly questionable associates given he openly hosted them to palaces.
• Monetary Excess: If the family did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his overspending with taxpayer funds.

Travel were listed in royal annual reports: private aircraft travel from the palace to a sporting venue and back again in time for midday meal, chartered planes instead of regular transport, all for the benefit of "the frequent flyer".

Existence of Entitlement

Additionally the entitlement which expected respect when he appeared in a space or the extreme consciousness about his designations used on his letterheads in communication to his friends.

He managed to escape consequences while his mother, who strangely indulged him, was still alive. The monarch did at least remove him of royal responsibilities and honorary colonelcies in the wake of his catastrophic and, we now know, mendacious television interview six years ago.

Latest Events

Merely in the last 14 days that events sped up, following the release of books giving more grim particulars of his behavior and that of his connections.

Further disclosures have again highlighted Andrew's belief that he could get away with deceiving about his relationship with a disgraced individual.

People (and the media) were far more perceptive of the royals. There was not a single person of any significance to defend him, a outcome of all those years of arrogance.

Royal Worries

The more astute monarchical figures understood that. The key objective is to hand down the institution, if not as before at least intact and unblemished.

For generations the last 190 years trying to undo the image of previous monarchs, proving they are beneficial, responsible and reactive to their citizens.

He was placing all that in danger in an time when deference and discretion is no longer sufficient.

Consequences

Eventually, the famously indecisive sovereign was pressured additional. There was little choice. The royal household had surrendered command of the account.

Now it is the loss of designations and the ongoing and lifetime public humiliation that will hurt Andrew most deeply.

• Downgrading: Reduced to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor
• Prior Instance: The first member to lose his designations in recent history
• Armed Forces: Notably stinging given his duty in the conflict

He continues to be a constitutional officer, on paper able to act for the king, and he is still in the lineage to the monarchy, but none of these will ever occur.

Coming Developments

Will people he comes across still acknowledge him? Could they still forget themselves and call him Prince? Might they say Andrew,

Naturally, he is not retiring to a common area, but to the royal family's extensive property at a royal residence.

In that place, he will be supplied by the king with one of the estate properties and given some sort of personal stipend.

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

Pending Matters

This is not over. There are still records in the possession of overseas authorities to be disclosed.

• Parliamentary Interest: Will lawmakers demand more
• Monetary Probe: Or scrutinize the waste of taxpayer funds
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a criminal probe into his conduct

Maybe for the present the institutional damage to the crown is restricted. The narrative from the institution was clearly that the stripping of titles was what the monarch, and especially other senior monarchical figures, desired.

Changed Stance

The cessation of illusion that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, notably, the concise statement showed plainly that the monarchy were aligning with the complainant's narrative of events.

Additionally, for the premiere occasion they finally showed concern for the survivors: "The measures are considered essential, regardless of the truth that he persists in refuting the allegations against him."

Finally it is arrogance, self-interest and inactivity that will kill the crown. In his folly, personal excess and venality, Andrew gives the impression never to have understood that reality.