The toxic prince: Andrew handed royal P45 after tipping point reached

When member of the public questioned value of the monarchy on ITV leaders' debate, Buckingham Palace had to act

After years successfully shrugging off questions about his judgement, his business relationships and, more seriously, his association with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew was finally undone not by a newspaper headline or a law enforcement agency, but by a woman called Sue from Leeds.

It was Sue - surname as yet unknown - who submitted a question to ITV's leaders' debate on Monday, asking: "Is the monarchy fit for purpose?" Julie Etchingham, chairing the debate between Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson, put the question to the two party leaders, asking for their answers "in as few words as possible, perhaps even a yes or no".