🔗 Share this article Stupidity and Monarchical Hubris Damaged Andrew, and It Could Continue Yet The saga started with a solitary photograph, possibly the most significant ever taken of a member of the monarchy. Present was the Earl of Inverness, standing closely beside a young woman, while a companion grinned knowingly in the backdrop. Lacking that image, taken at a social event in 2001, few would have credited the claims of a young woman who declared she was trafficked across the ocean and forced to have cursory relations with a prince of the royal bloodline? A strange, revealing move by someone who had openly asserted to have never heard of her, claimed he could no have had intimate contact with her, and yet handed over millions of monarchical resources to settle a protracted legal case. A Long Period of Scandal In this context, talk of the monarchy acting decisively to sever ties with Andrew are inaccurate. This scandal has persisted for the majority of 15 years since that image, and a further image of Andrew ambling congenially with a disgraced financier came to light. Hubris: How long did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his relatives, realize that Andrew was so self-entitled? Questionable Associations: They must have understood, if his aides and the police were doing their jobs, that he had some highly questionable companions given he unabashedly welcomed them to royal residences. Financial Extravagance: If the household did not know about his intimate behaviors, they certainly knew about his extravagance with taxpayer funds. Travel were documented in public records: private aircraft travel from the estate to a country club and back again in time for lunch, chartered planes instead of commercial flights, all for the convenience of "the frequent flyer". Existence of Entitlement Then there was the presumption which required subservience when he entered a area or the supreme obsession about his honorifics used on his official documents in communication to his friends. He avoided accountability while his mother, who strangely indulged him, was still living. The sovereign did at least revoke him of royal responsibilities and military positions in the consequence of his ill-fated and, as revealed, untruthful public statement six years ago. Recent Developments It was only in the last 14 days that events progressed rapidly, following the publication of accounts giving more troubling details of his conduct and that of his associates. More information have again highlighted Andrew's thinking that he could avoid deceiving about his interaction with a convicted criminal. The public (and the journalists) were far ahead of the monarchy. There was no one of any consequence to defend him, a consequence of all those years of arrogance. Royal Worries The more astute monarchical figures recognized that. The key objective is to hand down the monarchy, if not as heretofore at least complete and untarnished. Over time the last 190 years trying to reverse the image of previous monarchs, proving they are beneficial, responsible and reactive to their people. His actions endangered all that in peril in an era when deference and secrecy is no longer sufficient. Aftermath Ultimately, the famously indecisive sovereign was prodded more. There was no alternative. The institution had surrendered command of the story. Presently the loss of titles and the ongoing and permanent social disgrace that will afflict Andrew most severely. Reduction: Demoted to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor Historical Precedent: The primary monarch to forfeit his honorifics in recent history Naval Career: Notably painful given his duty in the Falklands war He continues to be a royal advisor, on paper able to stand in for the sovereign, and he is still in the succession to the crown, but neither of these will actually happen. Future Prospects Can persons he meets still defer to him? Could they still slip up and call him Prince? Might they say Mr, Of course, he is not moving to suburbia, but to the monarchy's extensive grounds at a royal residence. In that place, he will be provided by the sovereign with one of the royal residences and given some form of private allowance. This differs from his former home, where he paid a nominal rent for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit distant, but even so it may not be far enough. Pending Matters Matters remain unresolved. There are still files in the custody of overseas authorities to be revealed. Political Pressure: Could parliament demand more Fiscal Review: Or scrutinize the waste of taxpayer funds Criminal Investigation: There may even be a police investigation into his actions Maybe for the time being the harm to the monarchy to the crown is contained. The narrative from the palace was evidently that the stripping of designations was what the monarch, and notably other senior family members, wanted. Altered Approach No more deception that Andrew was acting willingly. And, remarkably, the brief announcement showed clearly that the royals were aligning with the complainant's version of events. Even more, for the premiere occasion they ultimately showed concern for the affected individuals: "The censures are judged required, regardless of the reality that he maintains his innocence of the claims against him." Ultimately it is presumption, self-seeking and laziness that will undermine the monarchy. In his folly, self-indulgence and venality, Andrew appears never to have understood that truth.