🔗 Share this article Foolishness and Royal Self-Entitlement Sunk Andrew, and It Might Persist Yet It all began with a solitary photograph, arguably the most impactful ever captured of a royal family member. Present was the Earl of Inverness, arm-in-arm a female youth, while a companion smiled conspiratorially in the rear. Without that photograph, taken at a social event in 2001, it would have been difficult to accept the claims of a adolescent who stated she was transported across the sea and forced to have perfunctory intimate contact with a member of the monarchy? A strange, telling action by someone who had overtly claimed to have never been aware of her, asserted he could no have had sex with her, and yet handed over a large amount of his mother's money to avert a protracted court action. Years of Scandal Against this backdrop, conversations of the monarchy acting firmly to cut Andrew off are inaccurate. This controversy has persisted for the majority of 15 years since that photograph, and another photo of Andrew strolling congenially with a convicted sex offender surfaced. Self-importance: How long did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his parents, realize that Andrew was so presumptuous? Problematic Connections: They must have realized, if his aides and the police were performing their duties, that he had some deeply disreputable friends given he openly hosted them to estates. Financial Extravagance: If the household did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources. Trips were listed in royal annual reports: private aircraft flights from the estate to a sporting venue and back again in time for midday meal, private flights instead of regular transport, all for the convenience of "Airmiles Andy". A Life of Privilege Additionally the presumption which expected respect when he entered a space or the profound consciousness about his royal titles used on his letterheads in communication to his friends. He avoided accountability while his matriarch, who unaccountably spoiled him, was still surviving. The sovereign did at least remove him of royal responsibilities and ceremonial ranks in the aftermath of his catastrophic and, as revealed, deceptive media appearance six years ago. Current Situation Just in the last 14 days that events progressed rapidly, following the issuance of accounts giving more troubling information of his actions and that of his connections. Additional revelations have again highlighted Andrew's assumption that he could avoid lying about his contact with a disgraced individual. People (and the journalists) were far more perceptive of the royal family. There was no one of any significance to defend him, a outcome of all those years of hubris. Institutional Fears The wiser family members recognized that. The one imperative is to pass on the crown, if not as heretofore at least intact and unblemished. They have spent the last 190 years trying to overcome the legacy of past sovereigns, showing they are beneficial, responsible and responsive to their people. His actions endangered all that in danger in an age when respect and privacy is no longer enough. Consequences Eventually, the notoriously uncertain sovereign was prodded additional. There was little choice. The institution had surrendered command of the account. Presently the stripping of designations and the ongoing and lifetime public humiliation that will hurt Andrew most deeply. Downgrading: Lowered to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor Past Example: The primary monarch to forfeit his honorifics in recent history Military Service: Notably stinging given his service in the Falklands war He is still a royal advisor, in principle able to substitute for the sovereign, and he is still in the lineage to the crown, but neither of these will truly happen. Coming Developments Do individuals he meets still defer to him? Might they still make mistakes and call him Prince? Would they say Andrew, Naturally, he is not withdrawing to a common area, but to the royal family's extensive property at a royal residence. At that location, he will be supplied by the sovereign with one of the estate properties and given some sort of financial support. This differs from his previous residence, where he paid a token lease for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit remote, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed. Outstanding Concerns The situation continues. There are still documents in the possession of American legislators to be made public. Parliamentary Interest: Might parliament seek further action Financial Investigation: Or examine the improper use of state resources Criminal Investigation: There may even be a criminal probe into his actions Perhaps for the present the reputational impact to the crown is limited. The statement from the palace was clearly that the revocation of designations was what the monarch, and particularly other senior family members, desired. A Shift in Position The cessation of illusion that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, notably, the brief statement showed plainly that the institution were aligning with the victim's account of incidents. Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they eventually showed regard for the victims: "These actions are judged required, despite the fact that he persists in refuting the accusations against him." Finally it is presumption, self-seeking and inactivity that will destroy the monarchy. In his foolishness, self-indulgence and venality, Andrew gives the impression never to have grasped that reality.