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It all began with a single photograph, arguably the most consequential ever captured of a member of the monarchy.

There stood the Duke of York, arm-in-arm a teenage girl, while a companion beamed suggestively in the background.

Without that snapshot, captured at a gathering in 2001, few would have credited the assertions of a teenager who declared she was moved across the Atlantic and compelled to have perfunctory relations with a prince of the royal bloodline?

A curious, indicative gesture by someone who had publicly asserted to have not been aware of her, said he could no have had relations with her, and yet provided a large amount of family resources to resolve a drawn-out legal case.

A Long Period of Disgrace

Against this backdrop, conversations of the royal family acting swiftly to sever ties with Andrew are wide of the mark. This scandal has endured for the better part of 15 years since that photograph, and a further image of Andrew walking congenially with a convicted sex offender emerged.

• Arrogance: How long did his siblings, maybe even his mother and father, understand that Andrew was so presumptuous?
• Questionable Associations: They must have realized, if his aides and the law enforcement were doing their jobs, that he had some extremely unsavory companions given he openly welcomed them to royal residences.
• Financial Extravagance: If the monarchy did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources.

Journeys were listed in royal annual reports: chopper travel from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for lunch, private flights instead of scheduled services, all for the convenience of "the travel enthusiast".

Existence of Entitlement

Then there was the arrogance which required deference when he walked into a room or the profound consciousness about his royal titles used on his letterheads in communication to his personal acquaintances.

He managed to escape consequences while his mother, who unaccountably spoiled him, was still alive. The sovereign did at least strip him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the wake of his catastrophic and, as revealed, untruthful public statement six years ago.

Current Situation

Just in the last fortnight that events sped up, following the publication of accounts giving more grim information of his actions and that of his companions.

More information have again highlighted Andrew's belief that he could escape deceiving about his contact with a notorious figure.

People (and the press) were far more perceptive of the royals. There was no one of any importance to support him, a consequence of all those years of presumption.

Royal Worries

The more astute family members recognized that. The one imperative is to hand down the monarchy, if not as heretofore at least intact and unstained.

For generations the last 190 years trying to reverse the reputation of past sovereigns, showing they are beneficial, responsible and reactive to their citizens.

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

The Fallout

Eventually, the well-known indecisive king was pushed further. There was little choice. The palace had relinquished authority of the narrative.

Now it is the stripping of titles and the ongoing and lifetime public humiliation that will pain Andrew most deeply.

• Reduction: Lowered to just a private citizen
• Past Example: The primary member to surrender his titles in modern times
• Armed Forces: Notably stinging given his service in the engagement

He is still a royal advisor, in principle able to substitute for the monarch, and he is still in the succession to the crown, but not any of these will actually occur.

What Lies Ahead

Can persons he comes across still show respect to him? Might they still forget themselves and call him Your Highness? Would they say Andrew,

Of course, he is not moving to an ordinary town, but to the sovereign's large grounds at a royal residence.

At that location, he will be supplied by the sovereign with one of the royal residences and given some type of personal stipend.

This differs from his prior accommodation, 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

The situation continues. There are still records in the hands of US Congress to be revealed.

• Parliamentary Interest: Will legislators demand more
• Fiscal Review: Or investigate the misuse of taxpayer funds
• Legal Possibility: There may even be a police investigation into his conduct

Maybe for the moment the institutional damage to the institution is restricted. The narrative from the institution was clearly that the stripping of titles was what the king, and particularly other senior royals, sought.

A Shift in Position

No more illusion that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, remarkably, the concise announcement showed evidently that the monarchy were aligning with the complainant's narrative of incidents.

Additionally, for the premiere occasion they finally showed consideration for the victims: "These actions are considered essential, regardless of the reality that he persists in refuting the allegations against him."

Ultimately it is entitlement, self-interest and laziness that will kill the institution. In his folly, personal excess and venality, Andrew gives the impression never to have grasped that lesson.