đź”— Share this article Stupidity and Royal Self-Entitlement Ruined Andrew, and It Might Persist Yet This episode commenced with a single photograph, possibly the most impactful ever snapped of a royal family member. There stood the Earl of Inverness, arm-in-arm a young woman, while a companion smiled suggestively in the rear. Lacking that image, shot at a social event in 2001, few would have credited the claims of a adolescent who stated she was trafficked across the sea and forced to have perfunctory relations with a prince of the royal family? A strange, revealing move by someone who had overtly claimed to have not known about her, claimed he could never have had sex with her, and yet provided a large amount of monarchical resources to settle a long-delayed court action. Years of Disgrace Against this backdrop, conversations of the monarchy acting decisively to distance themselves from Andrew are misguided. This scandal has endured for the better part of 15 years since that photograph, and a further photo of Andrew walking congenially with a convicted sex offender came to light. Hubris: For what duration did his siblings, perhaps even his mother and father, know that Andrew was so arrogant? Problematic Connections: They must have known, if his employees and the authorities were performing their duties, that he had some highly questionable companions given he publicly welcomed them to royal residences. Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the monarchy did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with public money. Trips were documented in public records: private aircraft flights from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for lunch, chartered planes instead of commercial flights, all for the comfort of "the frequent flyer". A Life of Privilege Then there was the arrogance which expected respect when he entered a room or the extreme consciousness about his royal titles used on his official documents in messages to his associates. He managed to escape consequences while his mother, who unaccountably spoiled him, was still living. The sovereign did at least revoke him of public duties and ceremonial ranks in the aftermath of his ill-fated and, as revealed, untruthful media appearance six years ago. Latest Events It was only in the last 14 days that events accelerated, following the release of biographical works giving more grim information of his behavior and that of his associates. Further disclosures have again revealed Andrew's belief that he could avoid being untruthful about his interaction with a convicted criminal. Society (and the press) were far more perceptive of the royal family. There was nobody of any importance to defend him, a outcome of all those years of arrogance. Monarchical Concerns The wiser royals understood that. The one imperative is to hand down the crown, if not as heretofore at least whole and unstained. They have spent the last 190 years trying to overcome the reputation of earlier rulers, showing they are beneficial, dutiful and responsive to their people. Andrew was putting all that in danger in an age when submission and privacy is no longer sufficient. Aftermath Eventually, the notoriously uncertain sovereign was prodded additional. There was no alternative. The royal household had surrendered command of the account. Presently the stripping of designations and the ongoing and permanent public humiliation that will hurt Andrew most severely. Demotion: Demoted to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor Prior Instance: The first monarch to surrender his designations in contemporary era Armed Forces: Especially stinging given his duty in the Falklands war He remains a constitutional officer, in principle able to substitute for the sovereign, and he is still in the lineage to the crown, but none of these will ever occur. What Lies Ahead Can persons he comes across still show respect to him? Will they still make mistakes and call him Prince? Will they even say Andrew, Certainly, he is not retiring to a common area, but to the monarchy's large property at a royal residence. There, he will be furnished by the sovereign with one of the royal residences and given some sort of financial support. It is not his previous residence, where he paid a nominal rent for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit remote, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed. Unresolved Issues The situation continues. There are still files in the custody of American legislators to be revealed. Political Pressure: Might lawmakers request additional information Financial Investigation: Or investigate the misuse of state resources Judicial Potential: There may even be a police investigation into his behavior Perhaps for the moment the harm to the monarchy to the crown is contained. The statement from the institution was clearly that the removal of honorifics was what the king, and particularly other senior family members, wanted. A Shift in Position An end to illusion that Andrew was acting willingly. And, significantly, the concise announcement showed plainly that the institution were siding with the victim's account of events. Even more, for the premiere occasion they finally showed regard for the survivors: "The measures are considered essential, despite the fact that he continues to deny the accusations against him." Finally it is presumption, self-interest and indolence that will undermine the institution. In his foolishness, self-indulgence and corruption, Andrew gives the impression never to have grasped that reality.