Prince Andrew is an oafish lout but we can't pull down whole monarchy in his wake

Oh dear. It was bound to happen and it has. The King has been heckled on the subject of his ghastly brother, although it does look as if it was just one man and the rest of the crowd didn't join in. But this is what happens when you allow a problem like Andrew to develop unchecked: clearly someone should have done something decades ago to rein him in.

But there's no use crying over spilt milk. Despite the fact Andrew is clearly an entitled, oafish lout, who seems to believe droit de seigneur still exists and that it doesn't matter what depths of moral depravity a person has reached as long as he's got a few billion in the bank, this should not affect the wider monarchy.

There have always been bad 'uns in every area of life, but to let this destroy an institution that has served this country very well would be a tragedy.

Of course it's an anachronistic system and of course if you were starting from scratch you would not take one family and put them at the top of the tree forever. But like the vast majority, I am a pragmatic monarchist.

When the system works well, as it does most of the time, it provides stability and continuity. It brings in untold amounts of tourist money.

It operates a soft power unmatched anywhere - just witness the expression on the face of President Trump, the most powerful man in the world, when he was recently lauded by the Windsors.

That can only boost Britain's standing in the eyes of America and the rest of the world. And in any case the system has a habit of clearing itself out.

It was widely thought that Edward VIII would be a very unsuitable king, not least because of his ties to Nazi Germany, but courtesy of his choice of bride he walked straight into a trap that enabled the establishment to dislodge him.

It might have caused a scandal but the monarchy survived. And it will this time too. Prince William and his wholly admirable wife Catherine clearly understand the issues at stake and are doing what should have been done years ago: giving that oaf in Royal Lodge the boot.

But it's in the interests of all of us to see this for what it is: a one-off. Yes, Andrew should be made to pay for his dreadful behaviour. But don't pull the whole system down in his wake.