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It all began with a single photograph, perhaps the most significant ever captured of a individual from the royal household.

Present was the Baron Killyleagh, standing closely beside a young woman, while a companion grinned conspiratorially in the rear.

Lacking that snapshot, shot at a party in 2001, who would have believed the allegations of a young woman who stated she was moved across the ocean and forced to have cursory relations with a prince of the royal bloodline?

An odd, indicative move by someone who had overtly asserted to have never known about her, said he could not have had sex with her, and yet provided a substantial sum of family funds to settle a long-delayed legal case.

Years of Scandal

Considering this, discussions of the monarchy acting decisively to sever ties with Andrew are misguided. This scandal has continued for the largest portion of 15 years since that picture, and another photo of Andrew strolling pleasantly with a notorious individual surfaced.

• Hubris: For what duration did his brothers and sisters, possibly even his mother and father, understand that Andrew was so arrogant?
• Questionable Associations: They must have realized, if his aides and the law enforcement were performing their duties, that he had some deeply disreputable friends given he publicly welcomed them to royal residences.
• Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the family did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with state resources.

Journeys were listed in official documents: chopper flights from the palace to a country club and back again in time for lunch, exclusive air travel instead of commercial flights, all for the benefit of "the frequent flyer".

Existence of Entitlement

Additionally the presumption which expected respect when he entered a room or the extreme awareness about his designations used on his letterheads in messages to his friends.

He avoided accountability while his matriarch, who unaccountably indulged him, was still living. The monarch did at least strip him of official roles and honorary colonelcies in the consequence of his catastrophic and, as revealed, untruthful public statement six years ago.

Latest Events

It was only in the last 14 days that events sped up, following the publication of books giving more grim details of his conduct and that of his connections.

Additional revelations have again revealed Andrew's thinking that he could escape being untruthful about his interaction with a convicted criminal.

The public (and the media) were far more perceptive of the royals. There was no one of any importance to support him, a result of all those years of presumption.

Institutional Fears

The more astute royals recognized that. The primary concern is to hand down the institution, if not as heretofore at least whole and unstained.

For generations the last 190 years trying to reverse the reputation of earlier rulers, showing they are useful, accountable and reactive to their citizens.

He was placing all that in jeopardy in an time when submission and secrecy is no longer adequate.

Aftermath

Eventually, the famously hesitant sovereign was prodded further. There was no alternative. The royal household had surrendered command of the narrative.

Presently the stripping of honorifics and the continued and life-long personal shame that will hurt Andrew most severely.

• Demotion: Demoted to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor
• Historical Precedent: The first royal to lose his designations in recent history
• Naval Career: Notably stinging given his role in the Falklands war

He remains a royal advisor, in principle able to act for the monarch, and he is still eighth in line to the crown, but none of these will ever happen.

Coming Developments

Do individuals he meets still show respect to him? Might they still make mistakes and call him Prince? Might they say Andrew,

Of course, he is not withdrawing to suburbia, but to the royal family's large grounds at a monarchical property.

There, he will be supplied by the monarch with one of the estate properties and given some form of financial support.

This is not his former home, where he paid a nominal lease for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit remote, but even so it may not be far enough.

Outstanding Concerns

Matters remain unresolved. There are still records in the custody of overseas authorities to be revealed.

• Parliamentary Interest: Could legislators request additional information
• Monetary Probe: Or examine the improper use of taxpayer funds
• Legal Possibility: There may even be a criminal probe into his conduct

Maybe for the moment the institutional damage to the crown is limited. The message from the palace was clearly that the stripping of honorifics was what the king, and especially other senior family members, wanted.

Changed Stance

No more pretence that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, remarkably, the brief announcement showed evidently that the royals were supporting the complainant's narrative of occurrences.

Furthermore, for the initial instance they ultimately showed regard for the victims: "The censures are judged required, regardless of the truth that he maintains his innocence of the claims against him."

Ultimately it is entitlement, selfishness and inactivity that will undermine the institution. In his stupidity, self-gratification and greed, Andrew appears never to have grasped that lesson.