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It all began with a isolated photograph, arguably the most consequential ever snapped of a individual from the royal household.

Present was the Baron Killyleagh, standing closely beside a female youth, while a companion grinned knowingly in the background.

Absent that image, captured at a social event in 2001, who would have believed the allegations of a young woman who stated she was trafficked across the ocean and forced to have brief intimate contact with a member of the royal bloodline?

A strange, telling action by someone who had publicly asserted to have never heard of her, asserted he could no have had intimate contact with her, and yet paid millions of family funds to avert a drawn-out court action.

A Long Period of Disgrace

In this context, talk of the royals acting decisively to cut Andrew off are wide of the mark. This affair has persisted for the largest portion of 15 years since that image, and another snapshot of Andrew strolling congenially with a disgraced financier came to light.

• Self-importance: For what duration did his family members, possibly even his parents, know that Andrew was so presumptuous?
• Problematic Connections: They must have realized, if his staff and the police were performing their duties, that he had some extremely unsavory friends given he publicly invited them to royal residences.
• Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the monarchy did not know about his intimate behaviors, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources.

Trips were documented in public records: helicopter travel from the palace to a sporting venue and back again in time for dining, private flights instead of commercial flights, all for the benefit of "Airmiles Andy".

Existence of Entitlement

Then there was the entitlement which demanded subservience when he entered a room or the supreme obsession about his designations used on his official documents in letters to his friends.

He avoided accountability while his parent, who inexplicably indulged him, was still alive. The sovereign did at least revoke him of royal responsibilities and honorary colonelcies in the aftermath of his catastrophic and, as revealed, mendacious public statement six years ago.

Current Situation

It was only in the last 14 days that events sped up, following the issuance of accounts giving more grim information of his actions and that of his associates.

More information have again exposed Andrew's thinking that he could avoid lying about his contact with a disgraced individual.

The public (and the media) were far in advance of the royal family. There was nobody of any significance to speak up for him, a result of all those years of arrogance.

Monarchical Concerns

The more intelligent monarchical figures recognized that. The one imperative is to hand down the institution, if not as previously at least whole and unblemished.

For generations the last 190 years trying to undo the reputation of past sovereigns, proving they are useful, responsible and responsive to their subjects.

Andrew was putting all that in peril in an era when respect and discretion is no longer sufficient.

The Fallout

Ultimately, the notoriously indecisive monarch was pushed more. There was no other option. The royal household had lost control of the narrative.

Now it is the stripping of designations and the persistent and life-long social disgrace that will afflict Andrew the most.

• Demotion: Reduced to just a private citizen
• Prior Instance: The initial member to surrender his designations in recent history
• Naval Career: Particularly painful given his role 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 monarchy, but none of these will actually occur.

Coming Developments

Can persons he encounters still acknowledge him? Will they still forget themselves and call him Prince? Will they even say Sir,

Certainly, he is not retiring to a common area, but to the sovereign's vast grounds at Sandringham.

At that location, he will be furnished by the king with one of the royal residences and given some sort of private allowance.

This is not his prior accommodation, where he paid a token lease for more than 20 years, and Norfolk is a bit distant, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed.

Outstanding Concerns

Matters remain unresolved. There are still documents in the custody of overseas authorities to be made public.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Could legislators demand more
• Fiscal Review: Or scrutinize the waste of public money
• Criminal Investigation: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his actions

Possibly for the time being the harm to the monarchy to the crown is restricted. The statement from the institution was plainly that the stripping of titles was what the sovereign, and notably other senior monarchical figures, sought.

Changed Stance

No more pretence that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, notably, the short statement showed evidently that the institution were aligning with the complainant's version of occurrences.

Furthermore, for the initial instance they finally showed concern for the affected individuals: "These actions are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the reality that he continues to deny the claims against him."

In the end it is entitlement, self-seeking and laziness that will undermine the crown. In his stupidity, self-gratification and corruption, Andrew gives the impression never to have learned that lesson.