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The saga started with a isolated photograph, arguably the most impactful ever captured of a royal family member.

There stood the Duke of York, standing closely beside a young woman, while a companion beamed conspiratorially in the background.

Lacking that image, shot at a social event in 2001, it would have been difficult to accept the assertions of a young woman who stated she was moved across the ocean and forced to have brief relations with a prince of the monarchy?

An odd, revealing action by someone who had overtly asserted to have no heard of her, claimed he could never have had sex with her, and yet provided millions of family resources to settle a protracted court action.

Over a Decade of Scandal

In this context, discussions of the royals acting decisively to cut Andrew off are misguided. This scandal has endured for the majority of 15 years since that photograph, and a further photo of Andrew ambling pleasantly with a notorious individual emerged.

• Arrogance: How long did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his parents, know that Andrew was so arrogant?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have realized, if his staff and the police were doing their jobs, that he had some extremely unsavory friends given he publicly welcomed them to estates.
• Monetary Excess: If the family did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his extravagance with state resources.

Trips were documented in official documents: private aircraft travel from the estate to a country club and back again in time for lunch, exclusive air travel instead of commercial flights, all for the convenience of "the travel enthusiast".

Existence of Entitlement

Furthermore the arrogance which demanded deference when he walked into a area or the supreme obsession about his honorifics used on his letterheads in communication to his friends.

He could get away with it while his mother, who strangely indulged him, was still surviving. The monarch did at least strip him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the consequence of his catastrophic and, we now know, untruthful media appearance six years ago.

Recent Developments

Merely in the last 14 days that events progressed rapidly, following the publication of biographical works giving more troubling information of his conduct and that of his companions.

Additional revelations have again exposed Andrew's belief that he could avoid being untruthful about his contact with a notorious figure.

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

Monarchical Concerns

The wiser monarchical figures recognized that. The key objective is to transfer the institution, if not as before at least complete and unblemished.

Over time the last 190 years trying to overcome the legacy of previous monarchs, proving they are useful, accountable and responsive to their subjects.

He was placing all that in danger in an era when respect and discretion is no longer adequate.

Aftermath

Finally, the famously hesitant sovereign was prodded additional. There was little choice. The royal household had surrendered command of the story.

Presently the loss of designations and the continued and permanent personal shame that will afflict Andrew the most.

• Downgrading: Lowered to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor
• Historical Precedent: The first member to forfeit his designations in recent history
• Armed Forces: Particularly hurtful given his role in the conflict

He is still a counsellor of state, in principle able to stand in for the king, and he is still in the lineage to the monarchy, but neither of these will truly happen.

Future Prospects

Do individuals he encounters still acknowledge him? Will they still make mistakes and call him Sir? Would they say Andrew,

Certainly, he is not retiring to an ordinary town, but to the monarchy's extensive estate at a monarchical property.

There, he will be provided by the king with one of the grace and favour houses and given some sort of personal stipend.

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

Unresolved Issues

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

• Governmental Scrutiny: Will parliament demand more
• Monetary Probe: Or scrutinize the waste of state resources
• Criminal Investigation: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his conduct

Maybe for the moment the reputational impact to the institution is restricted. The statement from the institution was evidently that the revocation of designations was what the monarch, and notably other senior monarchical figures, sought.

Changed Stance

An end to deception that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, remarkably, the brief statement showed evidently that the monarchy were supporting the complainant's account of incidents.

Even more, for the initial instance they ultimately showed consideration for the survivors: "These actions are judged required, regardless of the reality that he maintains his innocence of the claims against him."

Finally it is arrogance, self-interest and indolence that will kill the crown. In his stupidity, self-gratification and venality, Andrew seems never to have grasped that lesson.