🔗 Share this article Foolishness and Royal Self-Entitlement Damaged Andrew, and It Could Continue Yet The saga started with a solitary photograph, possibly the most significant ever snapped of a royal family member. In the frame appeared the Earl of Inverness, arm-in-arm a young woman, while another individual smiled suggestively in the background. Without that image, taken at a gathering in 2001, few would have credited the assertions of a teenager who declared she was trafficked across the Atlantic and obliged to have brief sexual encounters with a member of the royal family? An odd, telling gesture by someone who had publicly claimed to have never been aware of her, asserted he could never have had sex with her, and yet paid millions of family funds to resolve a long-delayed lawsuit. Years of Scandal Against this backdrop, talk of the monarchy acting decisively to cut Andrew off are misguided. This scandal has persisted for the largest portion of 15 years since that photograph, and a further photo of Andrew walking pleasantly with a disgraced financier surfaced. Hubris: For what duration did his family members, possibly even his parents, know that Andrew was so arrogant? Questionable Associations: They must have realized, if his employees and the authorities were doing their jobs, that he had some extremely unsavory companions given he openly hosted them to royal residences. Monetary Excess: If the family did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his extravagance with taxpayer funds. Trips were listed in royal annual reports: chopper transfers from the royal residence to a country club and back again in time for lunch, exclusive air travel instead of regular transport, all for the comfort of "the frequent flyer". World of Deference Furthermore the presumption which required respect when he walked into a area or the profound obsession about his designations used on his correspondence in communication to his associates. He managed to escape consequences while his matriarch, who strangely spoiled him, was still surviving. The monarch did at least revoke him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the consequence of his ill-fated and, we now know, mendacious television interview six years ago. Recent Developments Just in the last two weeks that events accelerated, following the release of accounts giving more grim information of his behavior and that of his companions. Further disclosures have again revealed Andrew's belief that he could escape being untruthful about his relationship with a notorious figure. People (and the press) were far in advance of the royals. There was not a single person of any significance to speak up for him, a consequence of all those years of hubris. Royal Worries The more intelligent family members understood that. The one imperative is to hand down the monarchy, if not as previously at least complete and unstained. For generations the last 190 years trying to undo the image of earlier rulers, demonstrating they are beneficial, accountable and attentive to their people. He was placing all that in peril in an time when submission and privacy is no longer adequate. The Fallout Eventually, the notoriously indecisive king was pushed more. There was no other option. The palace had relinquished authority of the account. Now it is the loss of honorifics and the ongoing and permanent social disgrace that will pain Andrew most severely. Downgrading: Reduced to just a private citizen Past Example: The initial royal to surrender his titles in recent history Military Service: Particularly hurtful given his role in the Falklands war He continues to be a counsellor of state, theoretically able to act for the sovereign, and he is still in the lineage to the monarchy, but none of these will truly happen. Coming Developments Will people he comes across still defer to him? Could they still forget themselves and call him Sir? Would they say Andrew, Of course, he is not withdrawing to a common area, but to the sovereign's large property at Sandringham. In that place, he will be provided by the king with one of the royal residences and given some sort of private allowance. This differs from his previous residence, where he paid a minimal lease for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit distant, but even so it may not be adequate distance. Outstanding Concerns Matters remain unresolved. There are still documents in the hands of overseas authorities to be disclosed. Governmental Scrutiny: Might parliament seek further action Financial Investigation: Or scrutinize the improper use of state resources Judicial Potential: There may even be a police investigation into his actions Perhaps for the time being the institutional damage to the monarchy is restricted. The narrative from the royal household was evidently that the removal of titles was what the monarch, and notably other senior family members, desired. Altered Approach The cessation of deception that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, significantly, the brief communication showed plainly that the institution were aligning with the complainant's narrative of occurrences. Additionally, for the first time they finally showed regard for the affected individuals: "The censures are considered essential, notwithstanding the reality that he continues to deny the accusations against him." Ultimately it is arrogance, selfishness and laziness that will destroy the crown. In his folly, self-gratification and venality, Andrew seems never to have learned that truth.