🔗 Share this article Stupidity and Monarchical Hubris Sunk Andrew, and It Could Continue Yet This episode commenced with a single photograph, arguably the most significant ever snapped of a royal family member. There stood the Duke of York, with his arm around a teenage girl, while a companion smiled suggestively in the rear. Absent that snapshot, shot at a gathering in 2001, few would have credited the claims of a teenager who said she was moved across the Atlantic and compelled to have cursory sexual encounters with a prince of the royal family? An odd, revealing move by someone who had overtly asserted to have not heard of her, said he could no have had relations with her, and yet paid a large amount of monarchical resources to settle a protracted legal case. Years of Scandal Considering this, discussions of the monarchy acting firmly to sever ties with Andrew are wide of the mark. This scandal has persisted for the majority of 15 years since that photograph, and an additional photo of Andrew ambling amiably with a convicted sex offender surfaced. Hubris: To what extent did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his mother and father, know that Andrew was so self-entitled? Questionable Associations: They must have known, if his aides and the police were doing their jobs, that he had some extremely unsavory associates given he publicly invited them to palaces. Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the monarchy did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his overspending with state resources. Trips were listed in royal annual reports: chopper flights from the palace to a sporting venue and back again in time for midday meal, chartered planes instead of commercial flights, all for the comfort of "the frequent flyer". Existence of Entitlement Furthermore the entitlement which required respect when he appeared in a room or the supreme obsession about his royal titles used on his correspondence in communication to his personal acquaintances. He managed to escape consequences while his matriarch, who inexplicably indulged him, was still surviving. The sovereign did at least strip him of public duties and ceremonial ranks in the wake of his ill-fated and, it is now clear, untruthful public statement six years ago. Recent Developments Just in the last fortnight that events sped up, following the issuance of biographical works giving more troubling information of his actions and that of his associates. More information have again revealed Andrew's belief that he could escape deceiving about his contact with a disgraced individual. The public (and the press) were far more perceptive of the monarchy. There was nobody of any significance to speak up for him, a consequence of all those years of arrogance. Institutional Fears The more astute family members understood that. The one imperative is to transfer the institution, if not as heretofore at least intact and unblemished. Over time the last 190 years trying to overcome the image of previous monarchs, showing they are beneficial, responsible and reactive to their subjects. His actions endangered all that in jeopardy in an age when deference and privacy is no longer adequate. Consequences Eventually, the famously indecisive monarch was pushed further. There was no other option. The royal household had surrendered command of the account. Presently the loss of titles and the continued and life-long public humiliation that will afflict Andrew most severely. Downgrading: Lowered to just a private citizen Historical Precedent: The first royal to lose his designations in modern times Naval Career: Notably hurtful given his role in the engagement He remains a counsellor of state, theoretically able to stand in for the king, and he is still eighth in line to the crown, but neither of these will actually occur. Future Prospects Will people he encounters still defer to him? Will they still slip up and call him Sir? Will they even say Sir, Certainly, he is not retiring to a common area, but to the sovereign's extensive estate at a royal residence. In that place, he will be furnished by the sovereign with one of the grace and favour houses and given some form of financial support. This differs from his prior accommodation, where he paid a token lease for more than 20 years, and Norfolk is a bit remote, but even so it may not be adequate distance. Pending Matters This is not over. There are still documents in the possession of American legislators to be made public. Governmental Scrutiny: Might legislators seek further action Fiscal Review: Or investigate the waste of state resources Criminal Investigation: There may even be a criminal probe into his conduct Possibly for the present the institutional damage to the crown is restricted. The statement from the royal household was plainly that the stripping of designations was what the sovereign, and notably other senior monarchical figures, wanted. Altered Approach The cessation of pretence that Andrew was acting willingly. And, significantly, the brief communication showed clearly that the institution were aligning with the complainant's narrative of incidents. Even more, for the initial instance they eventually showed concern for the victims: "These actions are judged required, regardless of the fact that he maintains his innocence of the accusations against him." In the end it is presumption, self-interest and indolence that will kill the monarchy. In his foolishness, personal excess and greed, Andrew gives the impression never to have learned that lesson.