'The greatest threat to the monarchy since abdication...in many regards, this is worse'

NEWS that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested — on his 66th birthday, no less — is the greatest existential threat to the reputation of the monarchy since the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936, and in many regards worse.

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Back then, the king was abdicating for reasons most people could understand, if not necessarily sympathise with. Although it was far more complicated than simply giving up the throne for the love of Wallis Simpson, it was also a reminder that sometimes the story could cut through to the public in the most brutal and simple of ways.

After the initial wave of sympathy for the former king passed, his former subjects regarded him with contempt for what they saw as his betrayal — passing on his greater responsibilities for the sake of his selfish pleasure. That has been history’s judgement, even before his Nazi links were revealed.

The former Duke of York is not in the same situation as the Duke of Windsor.

For a start, even though he remains eighth in line to the throne, there has never been any realistic likelihood that he would become king.

Therefore, the royals have been keen to cast Andrew adrift as brutally and swiftly as they can. The fact he might be taken into custody by the police has been anticipated for some time by both Sir Keir Starmer and King Charles, and now the royals must consider the best and worst-case scenarios in this situation.