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It all began with a isolated photograph, possibly the most consequential ever captured of a member of the monarchy.

There stood the Baron Killyleagh, standing closely beside a female youth, while a companion grinned conspiratorially in the rear.

Without that image, taken at a party in 2001, it would have been difficult to accept the claims of a young woman who declared she was trafficked across the sea and obliged to have perfunctory relations with a individual of the monarchy?

A curious, telling gesture by someone who had publicly stated to have never known about her, claimed he could no have had intimate contact with her, and yet paid millions of monarchical money to avert a long-delayed lawsuit.

Years of Controversy

In this context, conversations of the royals acting firmly to distance themselves from Andrew are wide of the mark. This scandal has persisted for the majority of 15 years since that image, and a further photo of Andrew ambling congenially with a notorious individual emerged.

• Arrogance: How long did his brothers and sisters, maybe even his parents, know that Andrew was so presumptuous?
• Dubious Friendships: They must have realized, if his employees and the authorities were doing their jobs, that he had some extremely unsavory associates given he openly hosted them to royal residences.
• Monetary Excess: If the household did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his wastefulness with public money.

Trips were documented in royal annual reports: helicopter travel from the palace to a sporting venue and back again in time for lunch, chartered planes instead of regular transport, all for the comfort of "the travel enthusiast".

Existence of Entitlement

Furthermore the arrogance which required subservience when he appeared in a room or the profound consciousness about his designations used on his correspondence in messages to his friends.

He could get away with it while his parent, who strangely spoiled him, was still living. The sovereign did at least revoke him of royal responsibilities and honorary colonelcies in the aftermath of his catastrophic and, as revealed, deceptive television interview six years ago.

Current Situation

It was only in the last 14 days that events accelerated, following the issuance of biographical works giving more grim particulars of his behavior and that of his companions.

More information have again revealed Andrew's thinking that he could get away with being untruthful about his contact with a convicted criminal.

People (and the media) were far in advance of the royal family. There was nobody of any consequence to speak up for him, a outcome of all those years of presumption.

Royal Worries

The more astute monarchical figures realized that. The one imperative is to hand down the institution, if not as before at least intact and unstained.

For generations the last 190 years trying to overcome the reputation of past sovereigns, demonstrating they are beneficial, responsible and responsive to their people.

He was placing all that in jeopardy in an age when deference and privacy is no longer sufficient.

Aftermath

Eventually, the famously hesitant king was prodded more. There was no alternative. The royal household had lost control of the narrative.

Now it is the stripping of titles and the ongoing and permanent social disgrace that will hurt Andrew most severely.

• Reduction: Lowered to just a commoner
• Past Example: The initial royal to forfeit his honorifics in modern times
• Armed Forces: Particularly painful given his service in the Falklands war

He remains a constitutional officer, on paper able to act for the king, and he is still eighth in line to the monarchy, but neither of these will actually come to pass.

Coming Developments

Can persons he comes across still show respect to him? Will they still make mistakes and call him Sir? Will they even say Andrew,

Naturally, he is not retiring to suburbia, but to the monarchy's large grounds at a monarchical property.

At that location, he will be provided by the king with one of the estate properties and given some form of private allowance.

This is not his former home, where he paid a token lease for more than 20 years, and Norfolk is a bit far, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed.

Unresolved Issues

This is not over. There are still files in the hands of US Congress to be made public.

• Governmental Scrutiny: Could legislators demand more
• Fiscal Review: Or scrutinize the waste of public money
• Criminal Investigation: There may even be a law enforcement inquiry into his actions

Maybe for the moment the harm to the monarchy to the monarchy is limited. The narrative from the palace was clearly that the removal of honorifics was what the king, and especially other senior family members, sought.

Changed Stance

The cessation of illusion that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, notably, the brief communication showed clearly that the institution were supporting the complainant's version of incidents.

Furthermore, for the premiere occasion they finally showed concern for the victims: "These actions are considered essential, notwithstanding the reality that he persists in refuting the accusations against him."

In the end it is arrogance, selfishness and indolence that will kill the institution. In his folly, self-gratification and greed, Andrew gives the impression never to have understood that truth.