Stupidity and Monarchical Hubris Ruined Andrew, and It May Not Be Over Yet

This episode commenced with a solitary photograph, arguably the most consequential ever snapped of a member of the monarchy.

There stood the Earl of Inverness, standing closely beside a female youth, while a companion grinned knowingly in the backdrop.

Lacking that snapshot, shot at a social event in 2001, who would have believed the assertions of a adolescent who said she was transported across the Atlantic and forced to have cursory intimate contact with a prince of the royal bloodline?

A strange, indicative gesture by someone who had overtly asserted to have no heard of her, asserted he could no have had intimate contact with her, and yet provided a substantial sum of family resources to resolve a protracted lawsuit.

Over a Decade of Controversy

In this context, conversations of the monarchy acting decisively to distance themselves from Andrew are misguided. This scandal has endured for the better part of 15 years since that picture, and another snapshot of Andrew strolling pleasantly with a disgraced financier came to light.

• Hubris: For what duration did his family members, perhaps even his parents, realize that Andrew was so self-entitled?
• Questionable Associations: They must have understood, if his aides and the police were fulfilling their roles, that he had some extremely unsavory associates given he openly invited them to estates.
• Fiscal Irresponsibility: If the household did not know about his personal conduct, they certainly knew about his extravagance with taxpayer funds.

Travel were listed in public records: private aircraft transfers from the royal residence to a country club and back again in time for lunch, chartered planes instead of commercial flights, all for the convenience of "the frequent flyer".

Existence of Entitlement

Then there was the entitlement which required deference when he entered a space or the supreme awareness about his royal titles used on his letterheads in communication to his personal acquaintances.

He managed to escape consequences while his mother, who strangely pampered him, was still surviving. The Queen did at least remove him of royal responsibilities and honorary colonelcies in the consequence of his catastrophic and, as revealed, deceptive public statement six years ago.

Current Situation

It was only in the last fortnight that events sped up, following the release of biographical works giving more disturbing details of his actions and that of his associates.

Further disclosures have again revealed Andrew's belief that he could get away with lying about his relationship with a notorious figure.

The public (and the press) were far ahead of the royal family. There was not a single person of any significance to defend him, a consequence of all those years of hubris.

Institutional Fears

The wiser monarchical figures recognized that. The primary concern is to pass on the institution, if not as previously at least complete and unblemished.

For generations the last 190 years trying to undo the reputation of past sovereigns, demonstrating they are useful, accountable and responsive to their citizens.

His actions endangered all that in peril in an time when deference and secrecy is no longer enough.

The Fallout

Finally, the notoriously uncertain king was pressured further. There was little choice. The royal household had lost control of the narrative.

Currently the stripping of titles and the ongoing and lifetime social disgrace that will hurt Andrew most deeply.

• Reduction: Reduced to just Mr Mountbatten-Windsor
• Past Example: The primary royal to surrender his titles in modern times
• Military Service: Notably painful given his role in the Falklands war

He remains a royal advisor, in principle able to act for the sovereign, and he is still in the succession to the throne, but none of these will truly occur.

Coming Developments

Will people he comes across still show respect to him? Could they still make mistakes and call him Sir? Would they say Sir,

Of course, he is not retiring to an ordinary town, but to the royal family's large property at a monarchical property.

There, he will be furnished by the monarch with one of the royal residences and given some form of personal stipend.

It is not his former home, where he paid a nominal payment for more than 20 years, and the area is a bit far, but even so it may not be adequate distance.

Pending Matters

This is not over. There are still files in the custody of American legislators to be made public.

• Parliamentary Interest: Will parliament request additional information
• Monetary Probe: Or scrutinize the misuse of state resources
• Criminal Investigation: There may even be a police investigation into his conduct

Maybe for the moment the reputational impact to the crown is restricted. The statement from the royal household was plainly that the stripping of titles was what the monarch, and notably other senior monarchical figures, desired.

A Shift in Position

An end to illusion that Andrew was doing it voluntarily. And, notably, the short statement showed clearly that the royals were aligning with the victim's account of occurrences.

Furthermore, for the initial instance they finally showed regard for the survivors: "These actions are considered essential, despite the truth that he maintains his innocence of the allegations against him."

Finally it is arrogance, self-seeking and inactivity that will undermine the monarchy. In his foolishness, personal excess and venality, Andrew seems never to have learned that lesson.