🔗 Share this article Foolishness and Monarchical Hubris Damaged Andrew, and It May Not Be Over Yet This episode commenced with a solitary photograph, arguably the most impactful ever taken of a member of the monarchy. In the frame appeared the Earl of Inverness, standing closely beside a teenage girl, while another individual smiled conspiratorially in the background. Lacking that snapshot, taken at a social event in 2001, it would have been difficult to accept the assertions of a adolescent who said she was moved across the ocean and obliged to have perfunctory sexual encounters with a member of the royal bloodline? A curious, revealing action by someone who had openly asserted to have no been aware of her, asserted he could not have had intimate contact with her, and yet provided a large amount of family funds to resolve a long-delayed legal case. A Long Period of Scandal In this context, discussions of the monarchy acting decisively to distance themselves from Andrew are inaccurate. This controversy has continued for the majority of 15 years since that picture, and an additional photo of Andrew ambling pleasantly with a convicted sex offender surfaced. Arrogance: To what extent did his family members, perhaps even his mother and father, understand that Andrew was so self-entitled? Questionable Associations: They must have realized, if his staff and the law enforcement were performing their duties, that he had some extremely unsavory friends given he unabashedly welcomed them to palaces. Financial Extravagance: If the monarchy did not know about his sexual proclivities, they certainly knew about his extravagance with taxpayer funds. Trips were printed in official documents: private aircraft transfers from the palace to a golf course and back again in time for midday meal, exclusive air travel instead of regular transport, all for the benefit of "the travel enthusiast". Existence of Entitlement Then there was the presumption which required subservience when he walked into a area or the extreme consciousness about his royal titles used on his letterheads in messages to his personal acquaintances. He could get away with it while his parent, who unaccountably pampered him, was still alive. The sovereign did at least strip him of royal responsibilities and ceremonial ranks in the wake of his disastrous and, as revealed, mendacious media appearance six years ago. Recent Developments It was only in the last two weeks that events accelerated, following the issuance of accounts giving more grim details of his behavior and that of his connections. More information have again revealed Andrew's assumption that he could escape deceiving about his relationship with a notorious figure. The public (and the journalists) were far ahead of the monarchy. There was nobody of any importance to support him, a outcome of all those years of presumption. Institutional Fears The more astute family members recognized that. The one imperative is to transfer the monarchy, if not as heretofore at least whole and untarnished. They have spent the last 190 years trying to undo the image of past sovereigns, demonstrating they are valuable, accountable and reactive to their citizens. Andrew was putting all that in peril in an time when submission and discretion is no longer enough. The Fallout Eventually, the famously hesitant king was prodded further. There was no alternative. The palace had relinquished authority of the story. Now it is the loss of honorifics and the ongoing and lifetime social disgrace that will pain Andrew most severely. Downgrading: Reduced to just a commoner Historical Precedent: The primary monarch to forfeit his honorifics in recent history Military Service: Notably painful given his service in the Falklands war He is still a counsellor of state, on paper able to stand in for the monarch, and he is still in the succession to the throne, but none of these will truly happen. Future Prospects Will people he encounters still show respect to him? Will they still slip up and call him Sir? Will they even say Andrew, Certainly, he is not moving to an ordinary town, but to the monarchy's vast grounds at a monarchical property. At that location, he will be provided by the king with one of the royal residences and given some type of private allowance. This differs from his prior accommodation, where he paid a token payment for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit far, but even so it may not be sufficiently removed. Outstanding Concerns The situation continues. There are still documents in the possession of overseas authorities to be disclosed. Parliamentary Interest: Will lawmakers seek further action Monetary Probe: Or investigate the waste of taxpayer funds Judicial Potential: There may even be a criminal probe into his behavior Perhaps for the time being the reputational impact to the monarchy is restricted. The narrative from the palace was plainly that the stripping of titles was what the monarch, and especially other senior family members, desired. Changed Stance No more deception that Andrew was acting willingly. And, notably, the short communication showed evidently that the royals were siding with the accuser's account of occurrences. Additionally, for the first time they finally showed concern for the affected individuals: "These actions are judged required, notwithstanding the truth that he maintains his innocence of the accusations against him." Finally it is presumption, selfishness and laziness that will kill the institution. In his foolishness, self-gratification and corruption, Andrew seems never to have grasped that truth.