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The saga started with a single photograph, possibly the most significant ever taken of a individual from the royal household.

In the frame appeared the Duke of York, standing closely beside a young woman, while an associate smiled knowingly in the background.

Without that photograph, captured at a social event in 2001, few would have credited the assertions of a teenager who stated she was trafficked across the sea and compelled to have cursory relations with a member of the monarchy?

An odd, indicative gesture by someone who had overtly stated to have not heard of her, said he could never have had sex with her, and yet provided millions of his mother's resources to resolve a protracted legal case.

Over a Decade of Disgrace

Against this backdrop, conversations of the royals acting firmly to cut Andrew off are wide of the mark. This controversy has persisted for the largest portion of 15 years since that image, and another photo of Andrew ambling amiably with a convicted sex offender surfaced.

• Arrogance: To what extent did his brothers and sisters, perhaps even his relatives, understand that Andrew was so arrogant?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have understood, if his employees and the authorities were doing their jobs, that he had some highly questionable associates given he unabashedly welcomed them to royal residences.
• Monetary Excess: If the monarchy did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with taxpayer funds.

Journeys were listed in royal annual reports: private aircraft transfers from the royal residence to a golf course and back again in time for midday meal, exclusive air travel instead of scheduled services, all for the benefit of "the frequent flyer".

Existence of Entitlement

Then there was the arrogance which expected subservience when he entered a room or the extreme awareness about his royal titles used on his correspondence in communication to his associates.

He could get away with it while his matriarch, who unaccountably pampered him, was still surviving. The Queen did at least revoke him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the consequence of his catastrophic and, as revealed, untruthful television interview six years ago.

Current Situation

Just in the last two weeks that events progressed rapidly, following the publication of accounts giving more troubling details of his behavior and that of his associates.

More information have again exposed Andrew's belief that he could avoid being untruthful about his contact with a disgraced individual.

People (and the press) were far ahead of the royals. There was not a single person of any significance to support him, a consequence of all those years of presumption.

Monarchical Concerns

The more astute monarchical figures understood that. The one imperative is to transfer the institution, if not as heretofore at least intact and unblemished.

Over time the last 190 years trying to reverse the reputation of earlier rulers, proving they are useful, responsible and attentive to their citizens.

He was placing all that in jeopardy in an age when respect and discretion is no longer enough.

Aftermath

Finally, the notoriously hesitant monarch was pressured further. There was little choice. The institution had lost control of the account.

Now it is the removal of designations and the continued and life-long personal shame that will hurt Andrew most severely.

• Reduction: Demoted to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor
• Past Example: The primary monarch to forfeit his honorifics in recent history
• Armed Forces: Especially stinging given his role in the conflict

He continues to be a counsellor of state, on paper able to act for the king, and he is still in the succession to the throne, but none of these will actually come to pass.

Coming Developments

Will people he meets still defer to him? Will they still make mistakes and call him Sir? Will they even say Sir,

Of course, he is not withdrawing to suburbia, but to the sovereign's vast estate at a monarchical property.

At that location, he will be furnished by the king with one of the royal residences and given some sort of financial support.

This differs from his prior accommodation, where he paid a nominal payment for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit distant, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed.

Pending Matters

Matters remain unresolved. There are still documents in the hands of American legislators to be revealed.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Will legislators request additional information
• Monetary Probe: Or examine the improper use of public money
• Judicial Potential: There may even be a criminal probe into his actions

Maybe for the moment the harm to the monarchy to the institution is restricted. The statement from the royal household was clearly that the revocation of titles was what the king, and especially other senior royals, wanted.

Changed Stance

The cessation of illusion that Andrew was acting willingly. And, significantly, the concise announcement showed clearly that the royals were aligning with the complainant's version of incidents.

Even more, for the first time they finally showed concern for the affected individuals: "The measures are considered essential, despite the truth that he persists in refuting the accusations against him."

Finally it is entitlement, self-interest and inactivity that will kill the monarchy. In his folly, self-indulgence and venality, Andrew appears never to have understood that truth.