🔗 Share this article Stupidity and Monarchical Hubris Damaged Andrew, and It May Not Be Over Yet It all began with a isolated photograph, arguably the most consequential ever snapped of a individual from the royal household. In the frame appeared the Duke of York, standing closely beside a young woman, while a companion smiled conspiratorially in the rear. Absent that image, taken at a social event in 2001, few would have credited the claims of a adolescent who declared she was trafficked across the sea and forced to have cursory intimate contact with a member of the royal family? An odd, telling action by someone who had publicly asserted to have never known about her, asserted he could not have had sex with her, and yet handed over millions of his mother's funds to settle a long-delayed lawsuit. A Long Period of Controversy In this context, talk of the monarchy acting firmly to sever ties with Andrew are inaccurate. This affair has continued for the largest portion of 15 years since that photograph, and a further snapshot of Andrew walking pleasantly with a convicted sex offender came to light. Hubris: How long did his siblings, perhaps even his mother and father, realize that Andrew was so presumptuous? Questionable Associations: They must have known, if his staff and the police were fulfilling their roles, that he had some highly questionable friends given he publicly hosted them to estates. Monetary Excess: If the family did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with taxpayer funds. Journeys were listed in royal annual reports: chopper travel from the royal residence to a golf course and back again in time for lunch, private flights instead of scheduled services, all for the comfort of "the frequent flyer". World of Deference Additionally the presumption which expected respect when he walked into a room or the extreme awareness about his designations used on his correspondence in communication to his associates. He could get away with it while his matriarch, who inexplicably pampered him, was still living. The Queen did at least remove him of public duties and military positions in the wake of his disastrous and, we now know, deceptive public statement six years ago. Recent Developments Just in the last two weeks that events progressed rapidly, following the release of books giving more grim details of his conduct and that of his connections. More information have again revealed Andrew's assumption that he could get away with lying about his relationship with a disgraced individual. Society (and the journalists) were far more perceptive of the monarchy. There was not a single person of any importance to defend him, a outcome of all those years of hubris. Institutional Fears The more astute family members recognized that. The key objective is to pass on the monarchy, if not as heretofore at least intact and unstained. Over time the last 190 years trying to reverse the legacy of past sovereigns, demonstrating they are valuable, accountable and attentive to their people. He was placing all that in danger in an time when respect and discretion is no longer enough. The Fallout Ultimately, the well-known hesitant sovereign was pushed more. There was little choice. The royal household had lost control of the story. Currently the removal of titles and the ongoing and permanent public humiliation that will afflict Andrew the most. Downgrading: Demoted to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor Past Example: The primary member to forfeit his titles in contemporary era Armed Forces: Notably painful given his duty in the conflict He continues to be a constitutional officer, in principle able to substitute for the sovereign, and he is still eighth in line to the monarchy, but not any of these will ever happen. Future Prospects Will people he comes across still acknowledge him? Might they still forget themselves and call him Sir? Will they even say Andrew, Certainly, he is not moving to an ordinary town, but to the sovereign's large estate at a royal residence. There, he will be provided by the monarch with one of the estate properties and given some sort of private allowance. It is not his former home, where he paid a nominal rent for more than 20 years, and the county is a bit far, but even so it may not be far enough. Unresolved Issues This is not over. There are still records in the hands of US Congress to be made public. Governmental Scrutiny: Will lawmakers request additional information Monetary Probe: Or examine the waste of public money Legal Possibility: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his conduct Possibly for the moment the reputational impact to the crown is limited. The message from the palace was evidently that the removal of designations was what the king, and particularly other senior royals, wanted. Altered Approach No more illusion that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, notably, the concise statement showed clearly that the institution were siding with the accuser's version of incidents. Even more, for the premiere occasion they finally showed concern for the survivors: "The censures are considered essential, regardless of the reality that he persists in refuting the allegations against him." Finally it is entitlement, self-seeking and laziness that will kill the monarchy. In his foolishness, self-gratification and corruption, Andrew seems never to have understood that reality.