Is this finally rock bottom for Mr Andrew Mountbatten Windsor?

After weeks, months, years and even decades of scandals, all the titles and privileges of the former Prince Andrew have been completely removed.

There are no modern precedents for such a colossal loss of royal status.

Unlike the previous statement on his future, this was from Buckingham Palace rather than Andrew himself.

It's a ripping off the bandage moment, which the Palace will hope will finally draw a line under the endless oil slick of bad news stories about Andrew.

The sliver of dignity given to him, that he was voluntarily choosing not to use his titles, has been taken away.

Titles such as Duke of York, the Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh will be forcibly removed.

All that remains is his place in the line of succession, and new guidance from the House of Commons Library has shown that too could be removed by Parliament, if Commonwealth realms give their consent.

After more than a year of pressure, the so-called Siege of Royal Lodge is over, with Andrew losing his independent lease and moving to the King's estate in Sandringham. It's not revealed where exactly, but it's not Wood Farm.

Sandringham is privately owned by the King, ending any reliance on a Crown Estate property.

His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson is said to be making her own separate arrangements, not currently expected to be with Andrew in Norfolk.

It makes Andrew dependent on the King for his home and his money. And also it has to be said, a duty of care for his brother's welfare.

This announcement might head off the immediate threat of Parliament taking matters into its own hands and voting to strip Andrew of his titles. MPs had become increasingly vocal about debating the scandal and the Public Accounts Committee had been flexing its muscles over protecting public funding.

But it's going to be much harder for the Palace to settle an authentic feeling of public outrage. The sense of unchecked privilege surrounding Andrew has genuinely irritated the public and it will take more than taking away his titles to dispel the sense of ugly entitlement.

Polling by YouGov published on Thursday showed Andrew now has the worst ever popularity ratings for a royal, with 91% holding a negative view of him.

And the King heard that unhappiness first hand from a heckler in Lichfield this week, who shouted: "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?"

For the Palace, there will be questions about why such longstanding problems around Andrew weren't dealt with before now. So much of this has been known for so many years, the unsuitable business links, the unexplained funding, the connections with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The cast list changes - alleged Chinese spies or dictators' wealthy relatives - but the story has remained the same.

The unsavoury link with Epstein was being widely discussed 14 years ago when Andrew was stripped of his role as trade representative.

Andrew has been losing jobs but continuing to live in a royal style for many years now and it's stretched public patience. It felt arrogant and out of touch.

A few clicks on Google will find decades of stories raising doubts about his suitability, often accompanied by pictures of Andrew in a top hat, like a renegade Monopoly piece.

There might be some public fatigue around this Andrew story, people might feel they've heard enough and are sick of it. But there was also an angry public mood that expected a clearer sense of accountability.

What remains to be seen now is whether a wider can of worms has been opened.

Who knew what and when at the Palace about Andrew and Epstein? Do we need more transparency around royal property and finance. How many houses do they have up their sleeve in Windsor? And what fresh scandals about Andrew could still emerge?

But this scorched earth approach to Andrew's future might also show an unexpectedly steely side to the King.

While other members of the Royal Family were part of the decision, including Prince William, it's understood that it was the King who made this big call on his brother's future. Whatever the grandstanding of pundits, it can't have been an easy decision.

There seemed to have been an irrevocable change of attitude when an email from Andrew to Epstein emerged, showing their continued contact. It seemed to destroy Andrew's promises in the Newsnight interview to have cut ties.

It no longer seemed tenable that Andrew should have the honour of being a prince and living in some splendour among the royals in Windsor.

Instead the King highlighted the victims of abuse, whose stories lie at the dark heart of Epstein's circle.

It's not long since Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, was grinning on the Buckingham Palace balcony, waving to the crowds. He'll wake up tomorrow morning for the first time in his life as Mr Mountbatten Windsor, private citizen.