🔗 Share this article Stupidity and Regal Arrogance Ruined Andrew, and It Could Continue Yet The saga started with a solitary photograph, perhaps the most consequential ever captured of a member of the monarchy. There stood the Duke of York, standing closely beside a female youth, while an associate grinned knowingly in the rear. Without that snapshot, captured at a social event in 2001, who would have believed the claims of a teenager who stated she was trafficked across the sea and compelled to have cursory sexual encounters with a member of the monarchy? A curious, revealing gesture by someone who had publicly asserted to have no heard of her, asserted he could no have had sex with her, and yet paid a large amount of his mother's money to resolve a long-delayed lawsuit. Years of Scandal Against this backdrop, conversations of the royal family acting firmly to cut Andrew off are misguided. This affair has persisted for the largest portion of 15 years since that picture, and another photo of Andrew walking amiably with a disgraced financier emerged. Self-importance: To what extent did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his relatives, understand that Andrew was so self-entitled? Dubious Friendships: They must have known, if his staff and the authorities were performing their duties, that he had some highly questionable associates given he unabashedly invited them to royal residences. Monetary Excess: If the monarchy did not know about his intimate behaviors, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with public money. Journeys were listed in royal annual reports: helicopter travel from the estate to a sporting venue and back again in time for lunch, chartered planes instead of commercial flights, all for the comfort of "the frequent flyer". Existence of Entitlement Then there was the arrogance which required deference when he walked into a area or the extreme obsession about his royal titles used on his correspondence in letters to his personal acquaintances. He could get away with it while his matriarch, who strangely indulged him, was still living. The sovereign did at least remove him of royal responsibilities and ceremonial ranks in the wake of his catastrophic and, as revealed, deceptive media appearance six years ago. Recent Developments It was only in the last 14 days that events sped up, following the release of books giving more grim details of his actions and that of his associates. Additional revelations have again exposed Andrew's assumption that he could avoid being untruthful about his relationship with a convicted criminal. The public (and the press) were far more perceptive of the royal family. There was nobody of any consequence to defend him, a consequence of all those years of hubris. Institutional Fears The more intelligent monarchical figures recognized that. The key objective is to pass on the institution, if not as previously at least intact and unblemished. They have spent the last 190 years trying to overcome the reputation of previous monarchs, demonstrating they are valuable, accountable and responsive to their citizens. He was placing all that in danger in an era when submission and privacy is no longer enough. The Fallout Eventually, the famously hesitant king was prodded further. There was no other option. The royal household had relinquished authority of the narrative. Presently the stripping of titles and the persistent and lifetime personal shame that will afflict Andrew most deeply. Demotion: Demoted to just a commoner Prior Instance: The first monarch to surrender his honorifics in recent history Armed Forces: Especially stinging given his role in the engagement He remains a royal advisor, in principle able to stand in for the king, and he is still in the succession to the crown, but none of these will truly happen. Future Prospects Will people he encounters still acknowledge him? Will they still make mistakes and call him Your Highness? Might they say Sir, Of course, he is not moving to an ordinary town, but to the royal family's large estate at Sandringham. At that location, he will be provided by the monarch with one of the royal residences and given some type of financial support. This differs from his former home, where he paid a nominal lease for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit remote, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed. Outstanding Concerns Matters remain unresolved. There are still documents in the hands of overseas authorities to be disclosed. Parliamentary Interest: Could legislators seek further action Fiscal Review: Or scrutinize the waste of public money Judicial Potential: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his actions Perhaps for the moment the reputational impact to the monarchy is limited. The narrative from the royal household was plainly that the removal of titles was what the king, and notably other senior monarchical figures, wanted. Altered Approach The cessation of illusion that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, significantly, the brief communication showed evidently that the royals were aligning with the accuser's narrative of occurrences. Even more, for the initial instance they eventually showed regard for the affected individuals: "These actions are deemed necessary, regardless of the fact that he maintains his innocence of the allegations against him." Finally it is arrogance, selfishness and indolence that will undermine the crown. In his stupidity, personal excess and venality, Andrew gives the impression never to have learned that reality.