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This episode commenced with a solitary photograph, arguably the most impactful ever taken of a individual from the royal household.

Present was the Earl of Inverness, with his arm around a young woman, while a companion smiled suggestively in the backdrop.

Lacking that photograph, shot at a gathering in 2001, who would have believed the allegations of a teenager who stated she was trafficked across the Atlantic and forced to have perfunctory sexual encounters with a individual of the royal family?

A strange, revealing gesture by someone who had openly claimed to have not been aware of her, claimed he could never have had sex with her, and yet handed over millions of his mother's money to avert a long-delayed legal case.

A Long Period of Scandal

Against this backdrop, conversations of the monarchy acting swiftly to sever ties with Andrew are misguided. This scandal has continued for the better part of 15 years since that photograph, and an additional snapshot of Andrew strolling congenially with a convicted sex offender came to light.

• Hubris: To what extent did his family members, perhaps even his parents, understand that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have known, if his employees and the law enforcement were performing their duties, that he had some highly questionable companions given he unabashedly hosted them to estates.
• Financial Extravagance: If the household did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources.

Travel were printed in official documents: chopper travel from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for lunch, private flights instead of scheduled services, all for the convenience of "the travel enthusiast".

Existence of Entitlement

Additionally the arrogance which expected respect when he walked into a space or the extreme consciousness about his designations used on his official documents in communication to his friends.

He avoided accountability while his mother, who strangely pampered him, was still living. The monarch did at least remove him of official roles and military positions in the consequence of his ill-fated and, we now know, mendacious public statement six years ago.

Recent Developments

Just in the last two weeks that events accelerated, following the release of books giving more disturbing particulars of his behavior and that of his associates.

More information have again highlighted Andrew's assumption that he could get away with lying about his interaction with a disgraced individual.

Society (and the press) were far in advance of the royals. There was nobody of any significance to speak up for him, a outcome of all those years of presumption.

Royal Worries

The more astute monarchical figures understood that. The primary concern is to transfer the crown, if not as before at least intact and unstained.

Over time the last 190 years trying to undo the reputation of past sovereigns, demonstrating they are beneficial, responsible and attentive to their citizens.

Andrew was putting all that in danger in an time when submission and privacy is no longer adequate.

The Fallout

Eventually, the well-known indecisive king was pressured additional. There was no alternative. The royal household had surrendered command of the story.

Now it is the removal of honorifics and the continued and lifetime social disgrace that will hurt Andrew the most.

• Demotion: Reduced to just a private citizen
• Historical Precedent: The initial royal to forfeit his honorifics in modern times
• Military Service: Especially stinging given his role in the conflict

He is still a constitutional officer, in principle able to substitute for the king, and he is still in the succession to the crown, but neither of these will actually happen.

Coming Developments

Can persons he comes across still defer to him? Might they still forget themselves and call him Sir? Will they even say Sir,

Naturally, he is not withdrawing to a common area, but to the monarchy's extensive property 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 is not his prior accommodation, where he paid a nominal lease for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit distant, but even so it may not be adequate distance.

Unresolved Issues

This is not over. There are still records in the possession of American legislators to be revealed.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Might legislators request additional information
• Monetary Probe: Or investigate the improper use of taxpayer funds
• Legal Possibility: There may even be a criminal probe into his behavior

Possibly for the present the reputational impact to the institution is restricted. The message from the institution was clearly that the revocation of designations was what the king, and notably other senior monarchical figures, wanted.

Changed Stance

An end to illusion that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, notably, the short communication showed clearly that the institution were siding with the victim's account of events.

Even more, for the first time they ultimately showed concern for the survivors: "The measures are judged required, notwithstanding the truth that he persists in refuting the claims against him."

Finally it is entitlement, self-interest and indolence that will kill the monarchy. In his stupidity, self-indulgence and venality, Andrew gives the impression never to have understood that lesson.