🔗 Share this article Stupidity and Regal Arrogance Ruined Andrew, and It May Not Be Over Yet It all began with a single photograph, perhaps the most consequential ever captured of a royal family member. In the frame appeared the Baron Killyleagh, standing closely beside a female youth, while another individual grinned conspiratorially in the backdrop. Without that image, shot at a gathering in 2001, few would have credited the assertions of a teenager who stated she was trafficked across the sea and forced to have cursory relations with a individual of the royal family? A strange, telling gesture by someone who had publicly claimed to have no heard of her, asserted he could no have had intimate contact with her, and yet handed over a large amount of monarchical money to resolve a drawn-out lawsuit. A Long Period of Controversy Considering this, talk of the royal family acting firmly to cut Andrew off are wide of the mark. This scandal has persisted for the majority of 15 years since that image, and another image of Andrew walking congenially with a notorious individual surfaced. Arrogance: To what extent did his siblings, perhaps even his parents, realize that Andrew was so arrogant? Questionable Associations: They must have realized, if his aides and the police were fulfilling their roles, that he had some extremely unsavory friends given he openly hosted them to palaces. Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the family did not know about his intimate behaviors, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources. Trips were printed in public records: private aircraft travel from the palace to a country club and back again in time for lunch, chartered planes instead of scheduled services, all for the convenience of "the frequent flyer". World of Deference Furthermore the arrogance which expected respect when he appeared in a space or the extreme consciousness about his designations used on his letterheads in messages to his friends. He avoided accountability while his matriarch, who unaccountably indulged him, was still alive. The Queen did at least strip him of public duties and ceremonial ranks in the wake of his disastrous and, as revealed, deceptive media appearance six years ago. Current Situation Just in the last fortnight that events accelerated, following the publication of books giving more grim particulars of his actions and that of his connections. Further disclosures have again highlighted Andrew's thinking that he could avoid lying about his contact with a notorious figure. People (and the media) were far in advance of the royal family. There was nobody of any importance to speak up for him, a consequence of all those years of hubris. Institutional Fears The wiser monarchical figures recognized that. The one imperative is to pass on the monarchy, if not as heretofore at least intact and untarnished. They have spent the last 190 years trying to overcome the image of earlier rulers, proving they are valuable, dutiful and responsive to their subjects. He was placing all that in danger in an era when deference and secrecy is no longer sufficient. The Fallout Eventually, the notoriously uncertain king was pushed further. There was no other option. The palace had relinquished authority of the narrative. Presently the removal of honorifics and the persistent and life-long public humiliation that will afflict Andrew the most. Demotion: Demoted to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor Prior Instance: The primary monarch to surrender his titles in modern times Military Service: Notably stinging given his service in the engagement He continues to be a counsellor of state, theoretically able to stand in for the sovereign, and he is still eighth in line to the throne, but neither of these will actually occur. Future Prospects Will people he encounters still defer to him? Might they still make mistakes and call him Prince? Would they say Mr, Certainly, he is not moving to suburbia, but to the monarchy's vast estate at a royal residence. In that place, he will be furnished by the monarch with one of the royal residences and given some type of personal stipend. It is not his former home, where he paid a token payment for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit remote, but even so it may not be adequate distance. Outstanding Concerns This is not over. There are still records in the hands of American legislators to be made public. Parliamentary Interest: Might lawmakers request additional information Financial Investigation: Or scrutinize the improper use of public money Criminal Investigation: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his behavior Possibly for the time being the institutional damage to the crown is restricted. The statement from the royal household was clearly that the revocation of designations was what the king, and notably other senior monarchical figures, wanted. Changed Stance No more pretence that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, remarkably, the brief communication showed plainly that the royals were aligning with the accuser's narrative of incidents. Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they eventually showed consideration for the survivors: "These actions are considered essential, notwithstanding the fact that he persists in refuting the accusations against him." Finally it is arrogance, selfishness and indolence that will kill the monarchy. In his foolishness, self-indulgence and venality, Andrew appears never to have understood that truth.