🔗 Share this article

The royal is relinquishing his honors, such as the the Duke, he has stated in a individual message.

He has been under mounting pressure over his associations with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with calls for the monarchy to take steps against him.

That now appears to have resulted in the prince deciding to voluntarily hand back his titles and to give up participation of the prestigious order.

In his statement he said he continued to "vigorously dispute the accusations against me".

"In consultation with the monarch, and my immediate and wider family, we have agreed the continued accusations about me take away from the work of the King and the monarchy," said a message from the royal.

"I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my kin and country first.

"I stand by my resolution five years ago to stand back from public life.

"With His Majesty's consent, we feel I must now go a additional measure. I will therefore no longer use my designation or the distinctions which have been bestowed on me. As I have said previously, I firmly dispute the claims against me."

Prince Andrew has been involved in a range of scandals, among them a court case he ended with the plaintiff, questions about his money matters and his connection with an alleged foreign agent.

He will remain a royal - but will cease to be the Duke of York, a title received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.

He had already stopped to be a "working royal" and had lost the use of his His Royal Highness designation and no longer was seen at public engagements. His status now will be even more diminished.

His ex-wife will be known as Ferguson and no longer the Duchess, but their daughters will carry on to have the title of royal princess.

He has encountered intense scrutiny over his links with convicted sex offender Epstein, more recently involving doubts about when he had actually ended ties.

In his BBC Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew had said that he had severed all links with the financier after they had been seen together in New York in late 2010.

But emails sent in early 2011 later emerged implying that he had privately continued in communication with Epstein, such as swapping a communication: "Stay in contact and we'll play some more soon!"

There had been growing annoyance in Buckingham Palace at the controversies that continued to plague the prince.

In the coming days a late publication by Virginia Giuffre will be issued which is likely to bring additional attention on the royal's involvement with Ms Giuffre and Epstein.