**“Entitled”: The Unauthorized Biography of Andrew and Sarah**
*Entitled,* the unauthorized biography of Andrew and Sarah, appeared shortly before Andrew’s precipitous fall from grace and is undoubtedly destined to become a bestseller.
When Andrew and Sarah built and furnished their first home, Sunninghill, it sounded remarkably like something Donald Trump might construct. According to descriptions, “One entered by the thirty-five-foot high stone floor hall, which rose to a glass dome and minstrels’ gallery through a lobby adorned with a medieval soldier’s helmet from Windsor Castle and the head of a North American buffalo—a gift from a royal tour.” The comparison to Trump extends beyond architecture: their children, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, have been gifted profitable access to some Middle Eastern potentates who befriended Andrew.
Curiously, the author Robert Lownie tells us remarkably little about the princesses themselves. He does not even comment on the fact that their royal titles are not shared by their cousins, the children of Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
Lownie is an engaging writer, and his book is a compulsive read. He skillfully drops casual comments that only become relevant later. One of the best examples involves repeated accounts of Andrew dancing at nightclubs and sweating profusely. Those who watched his fateful television interview will recall his protestation that the stress of serving in the Falklands War had cost him the ability to sweat.
Among the many people whose reputations are soiled in this sorry tale, none is more striking than that of the late Queen Elizabeth. While others in the family—Prince Philip, Prince William, even Princess Margaret—were appalled by Andrew and Sarah, the Queen remained blind to Andrew’s dealings and consistently bailed him out.
After the BBC interview, she was deliberately photographed riding with Andrew on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Lownie writes. Although Lownie remains discreet in his discussion of the Queen and is on record as a supporter of the monarchy, he has candidly said in an interview: “I think the Queen has to take some responsibility for the monster she created.”
A notable gap in the book is Lownie’s reluctance to question how far the extreme sense of entitlement carried by Andrew and Sarah is common to others in the royal family.
**Can the Monarchy Survive?**
Lownie ends his book by warning of the harm this story has done to the British monarchy. He finished writing before King Charles took decisive action to remove Andrew from “the Firm” and banish him to what the royals call “a cottage” on Charles’ private Sandringham estate.
This move, I suspect, has saved the British monarchy—at least for now. Charles has proven to be a far more effective constitutional monarch than many expected. He demonstrated this during his carefully managed hosting of Donald Trump’s state visit.
The significance of Charles’s standing is further highlighted by the Canadian prime minister’s invitation for him to open the nation’s parliament earlier this year, suggesting he is regarded as a valuable political asset.
Whether exile to Sandringham will prevent further moves against Andrew remains unclear. With his royal status removed, he is vulnerable to potential new accusations. It would not be surprising if he ends up in Dubai, where he could share reminiscences of royal splendour with the disgraced Spanish King, Juan Carlos—or in Abu Dhabi, where he has reportedly been offered use of a lavish royal palace by the country’s ruler.
Reading *Entitled*, it is hard to feel that monarchy is justified. But I return to the dilemma that prompted me to write my book *God Save the Queen*: many of the countries we regard as most democratic—Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands—are constitutional monarchies.
In the end, Britain’s monarchy will survive because its political leaders are trusted even less than its hapless royals.
*Dennis Altman*
Vice Chancellor’s Fellow and Professorial Fellow,
Institute for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University
https://www.alternet.org/prince-andrew/
