‘Chucked under royal bus’: Prince Andrew’s demotion shows institution’s ruthlessness

When the announcement of Prince Andrew's sudden royal demotion came at a few minutes past 5pm on Thursday, the level of its brutality didn't take long to sink in for people who know how the royal family works.

"I don't know what the richter scale goes up to but this is a big earthquake," one source told the Guardian. "This feels to me like a straightforward ejection or excommunication. This is the most serious step they could have taken."

Gone were the Duke of York's military affiliations - ranging from being colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment to colonel of the Grenadier Guards. And gone were his royal patronages - including a characteristically large numbers of golf clubs, but also good causes such as the SickKids Foundation and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. He will retain his military rank of Vice Admiral and remains in the line of succession to the throne.

And then it was reported, via a royal source quoted by the Press Association, that Andrew will no longer use the style "His Royal Highness" in any official capacity

"Losing the HRH style would be the most emotionally damaging because he was born a royal highness," the source said.

It means Andrew joins the divorcees Diana, Princess of Wales and his own ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, in losing the use of the styling. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also had their HRH monikers put into abeyance when they stopped working for the royal family, but, said Dr Ed Owens, royal historian, "they had a choice" about their decision to end their life as working royals.

"We know he has been trying to cling on to the last semblance of respectability in public life and keeping himself present," Dr Owens said. "It now looks like that has backfired."