🔗 Share this article Folly and Royal Self-Entitlement Ruined Andrew, and It Might Persist Yet This episode commenced with a single photograph, arguably the most impactful ever taken of a individual from the royal household. Present was the Earl of Inverness, standing closely beside a female youth, while another individual beamed knowingly in the rear. Without that snapshot, taken at a social event in 2001, few would have credited the assertions of a young woman who stated she was transported across the Atlantic and forced to have perfunctory relations with a individual of the royal bloodline? An odd, telling move by someone who had openly asserted to have never heard of her, claimed he could not have had sex with her, and yet paid a large amount of his mother's money to settle a long-delayed legal case. Over a Decade of Disgrace Considering this, discussions of the royal family acting decisively to cut Andrew off are misguided. This scandal has continued for the largest portion of 15 years since that photograph, and another snapshot of Andrew strolling pleasantly with a disgraced financier surfaced. Hubris: To what extent did his family members, maybe even his parents, understand that Andrew was so presumptuous? Problematic Connections: They must have understood, if his staff and the authorities were doing their jobs, that he had some highly questionable friends given he openly hosted them to estates. Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the household did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with public money. Trips were printed in royal annual reports: helicopter transfers from the royal residence to a sporting venue and back again in time for midday meal, private flights instead of commercial flights, all for the comfort of "Airmiles Andy". Existence of Entitlement Furthermore the presumption which required deference when he walked into a space or the profound awareness about his honorifics used on his official documents in communication to his friends. He could get away with it while his parent, who inexplicably pampered him, was still surviving. The sovereign did at least revoke him of official roles and military positions in the consequence of his catastrophic and, as revealed, mendacious television interview six years ago. Recent Developments It was only in the last 14 days that events sped up, following the release of biographical works giving more troubling details of his conduct and that of his associates. More information have again exposed Andrew's belief that he could get away with deceiving about his contact with a convicted criminal. People (and the media) were far more perceptive of the royal family. There was not a single person of any consequence to speak up for him, a result of all those years of hubris. Institutional Fears The wiser monarchical figures realized that. The one imperative is to pass on the institution, if not as previously at least intact and untarnished. They have spent the last 190 years trying to undo the image of earlier rulers, proving they are valuable, accountable and attentive to their subjects. His actions endangered all that in jeopardy in an era when submission and privacy is no longer sufficient. Consequences Ultimately, the well-known indecisive king was prodded further. There was no alternative. The institution had surrendered command of the story. Presently the removal of honorifics and the continued and permanent personal shame that will hurt Andrew most severely. Downgrading: Demoted to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor Historical Precedent: The primary member to forfeit his titles in modern times Military Service: Notably hurtful given his duty in the Falklands war He is still a royal advisor, theoretically able to act for the sovereign, and he is still in the lineage to the monarchy, but neither of these will truly come to pass. Coming Developments Do individuals he encounters still acknowledge him? Might they still slip up and call him Your Highness? Would they say Sir, Certainly, he is not retiring to an ordinary town, but to the royal family's vast grounds at Sandringham. In that place, he will be supplied by the sovereign with one of the grace and favour houses and given some form of personal stipend. This differs from his former home, where he paid a token payment for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit distant, but even so it may not be far enough. Unresolved Issues The situation continues. There are still records in the hands of overseas authorities to be revealed. Parliamentary Interest: Might lawmakers request additional information Financial Investigation: Or investigate the improper use of state resources Judicial Potential: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his behavior Perhaps for the time being the harm to the monarchy to the monarchy is restricted. The message from the institution was evidently that the stripping of titles was what the sovereign, and notably other senior monarchical figures, wanted. Altered Approach The cessation of illusion that Andrew was making the choice himself. And, remarkably, the brief statement showed clearly that the royals were siding with the victim's account of occurrences. Even more, for the premiere occasion they ultimately showed regard for the affected individuals: "The measures are considered essential, regardless of the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him." In the end it is entitlement, self-seeking and indolence that will kill the institution. In his foolishness, self-indulgence and corruption, Andrew seems never to have learned that lesson.