đź”— Share this article Stupidity and Royal Self-Entitlement Damaged Andrew, and It Could Continue Yet The saga started with a single photograph, arguably the most consequential ever snapped of a individual from the royal household. There stood the Earl of Inverness, arm-in-arm a teenage girl, while another individual smiled knowingly in the rear. Lacking that image, shot at a party in 2001, it would have been difficult to accept the allegations of a teenager who stated she was transported across the sea and compelled to have perfunctory intimate contact with a member of the royal family? An odd, revealing gesture by someone who had openly claimed to have never heard of her, claimed he could no have had intimate contact with her, and yet handed over a substantial sum of monarchical funds to resolve a protracted lawsuit. A Long Period of Disgrace In this context, discussions 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 another image of Andrew strolling pleasantly with a disgraced financier came to light. Self-importance: To what extent did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his mother and father, realize that Andrew was so presumptuous? Problematic Connections: They must have known, if his staff and the police were fulfilling their roles, that he had some highly questionable friends given he publicly welcomed them to palaces. Monetary Excess: If the monarchy did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with taxpayer funds. Trips were printed in public records: private aircraft transfers from the estate to a golf course and back again in time for lunch, exclusive air travel instead of scheduled services, all for the comfort of "the frequent flyer". Existence of Entitlement Furthermore the entitlement which required deference when he walked into a space or the supreme awareness about his honorifics used on his correspondence in messages to his friends. He managed to escape consequences while his matriarch, who unaccountably indulged him, was still alive. The monarch did at least strip him of official roles and honorary colonelcies in the aftermath of his catastrophic and, we now know, deceptive public statement six years ago. Current Situation Just in the last fortnight that events progressed rapidly, following the publication of accounts giving more disturbing details of his behavior and that of his companions. More information have again highlighted Andrew's thinking that he could avoid lying about his interaction with a disgraced individual. People (and the media) were far in advance of the royal family. There was not a single person of any consequence to speak up for him, a outcome of all those years of arrogance. Royal Worries The more intelligent monarchical figures realized that. The one imperative is to pass on the institution, if not as heretofore at least whole and untarnished. For generations the last 190 years trying to undo the legacy of earlier rulers, demonstrating they are beneficial, accountable and reactive to their people. Andrew was putting all that in danger in an age when respect and privacy is no longer enough. Consequences Ultimately, the well-known indecisive sovereign was prodded further. There was no other option. The institution had relinquished authority of the story. Presently the removal of titles and the continued and permanent public humiliation that will pain Andrew most severely. Demotion: Reduced to just a commoner Historical Precedent: The initial monarch to lose his titles in contemporary era Armed Forces: Notably painful given his duty in the Falklands war He is still a constitutional officer, in principle able to act for the king, and he is still in the lineage to the crown, but none of these will ever occur. Coming Developments Do individuals he meets still show respect to him? Will they still slip up and call him Prince? Might they say Mr, Of course, he is not withdrawing to an ordinary town, but to the monarchy's vast grounds at Sandringham. In that place, he will be provided by the sovereign with one of the estate properties and given some sort of financial support. It is not his former home, where he paid a nominal lease for more than 20 years, and Norfolk is a bit remote, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed. Pending Matters This is not over. There are still records in the hands of US Congress to be revealed. Governmental Scrutiny: Could parliament demand more Financial Investigation: Or examine the waste of taxpayer funds Judicial Potential: There may even be a police investigation into his actions Perhaps for the moment the harm to the monarchy to the crown is contained. The narrative from the palace was evidently that the removal of designations was what the king, and especially other senior royals, sought. Altered Approach The cessation of illusion that Andrew was acting willingly. And, significantly, the brief communication showed clearly that the royals were supporting the accuser's account of occurrences. Furthermore, for the initial instance they finally showed consideration for the affected individuals: "These actions are considered essential, despite the reality that he maintains his innocence of the allegations against him." In the end it is presumption, selfishness and laziness that will destroy the monarchy. In his foolishness, personal excess and greed, Andrew gives the impression never to have understood that reality.