đź”— Share this article Stupidity and Monarchical Hubris Damaged Andrew, and It Might Persist Yet This episode commenced with a isolated photograph, perhaps the most significant ever taken of a individual from the royal household. Present was the Duke of York, standing closely beside a young woman, while another individual grinned suggestively in the background. Without that snapshot, taken at a gathering in 2001, few would have credited the assertions of a adolescent who declared she was moved across the sea and obliged to have brief sexual encounters with a member of the royal bloodline? An odd, telling move by someone who had publicly stated to have never known about her, said he could not have had intimate contact with her, and yet provided a substantial sum of monarchical funds to settle a drawn-out legal case. Over a Decade of Controversy Against this backdrop, conversations of the royals acting swiftly to distance themselves from Andrew are misguided. This affair has endured for the better part of 15 years since that photograph, and another image of Andrew walking congenially with a disgraced financier came to light. Self-importance: How long did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his relatives, know that Andrew was so self-entitled? Questionable Associations: They must have realized, if his employees and the law enforcement were fulfilling their roles, that he had some highly questionable associates given he openly welcomed them to royal residences. Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the household did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his extravagance with taxpayer funds. Trips were documented in official documents: helicopter flights from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for lunch, private flights instead of scheduled services, all for the comfort of "the frequent flyer". World of Deference Then there was the arrogance which required respect when he walked into a space or the extreme obsession about his royal titles used on his correspondence in letters to his friends. He managed to escape consequences while his mother, who strangely pampered him, was still surviving. The monarch did at least revoke him of public duties and military positions in the aftermath of his catastrophic and, it is now clear, deceptive television interview six years ago. Latest Events It was only in the last fortnight that events sped up, following the issuance of biographical works giving more grim information of his conduct and that of his companions. Additional revelations have again revealed Andrew's assumption that he could avoid lying about his interaction with a notorious figure. People (and the journalists) were far more perceptive of the royals. There was no one of any significance to support him, a outcome of all those years of arrogance. Royal Worries The more astute family members realized that. The key objective is to pass on the institution, if not as previously at least whole and untarnished. Over time the last 190 years trying to undo the legacy of earlier rulers, proving they are beneficial, accountable and reactive to their people. Andrew was putting all that in jeopardy in an age when respect and secrecy is no longer adequate. The Fallout Eventually, the famously uncertain sovereign was prodded further. There was no other option. The palace had relinquished authority of the story. Presently the loss of designations and the continued and life-long public humiliation that will pain Andrew most severely. Reduction: Lowered to just a private citizen Past Example: The first member to forfeit his honorifics in contemporary era Armed Forces: Particularly hurtful given his role in the engagement He continues to be a counsellor of state, in principle able to stand in for the sovereign, and he is still in the lineage to the throne, but not any of these will actually happen. What Lies Ahead Can persons he comes across still show respect to him? Could they still make mistakes and call him Your Highness? Might they say Sir, Of course, he is not moving to a common area, but to the sovereign's vast property at Sandringham. There, he will be supplied by the sovereign with one of the estate properties and given some sort of financial support. This differs from his former home, where he paid a token rent for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit distant, but even so it may not be adequate distance. Unresolved Issues Matters remain unresolved. There are still files in the custody of US Congress to be disclosed. Governmental Scrutiny: Could lawmakers demand more Financial Investigation: Or examine the improper use of state resources Criminal Investigation: There may even be a criminal probe into his actions Perhaps for the present the reputational impact to the monarchy is limited. The narrative from the palace was clearly that the stripping of titles was what the sovereign, and particularly other senior royals, wanted. A Shift in Position An end to deception that Andrew was acting willingly. And, remarkably, the concise announcement showed clearly that the monarchy were aligning with the victim's version of incidents. Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they finally showed concern for the survivors: "The censures are considered essential, regardless of the fact that he maintains his innocence of the allegations against him." In the end it is presumption, self-seeking and indolence that will undermine the crown. In his foolishness, self-indulgence and venality, Andrew gives the impression never to have grasped that lesson.