🔗 Share this article

He is relinquishing his honors, among them the the Duke, he has stated in a personal statement.

He has been under increasing pressure over his links with disgraced financier Epstein, with demands for the royal household to take action against him.

That now appears to have resulted in the royal deciding to voluntarily return his designations and to surrender membership of the Garter Order.

In his announcement he said he continued to "strongly deny the allegations against me".

"In discussion with the monarch, and my close and wider family, we have decided the ongoing allegations about me distract from the duties of His Majesty and the monarchy," said a message from him.

"I have decided, as I always have, to put my obligation to my relatives and land first.

"I uphold my decision five years ago to step back from public life.

"With the monarch's consent, we think I must now go a additional measure. I will therefore no longer use my honor or the honours which have been bestowed on me. As I have said previously, I vigorously refute the allegations against me."

Prince Andrew has encountered a range of scandals, such as a court case he settled with Virginia Giuffre, inquiries about his economic affairs and his association with an accused Chinese spy.

He will remain a royal - but will stop to be the York's Duke, a designation granted from his parent, the former monarch.

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

His former spouse will be known as Sarah Ferguson and no longer Duchess of York, but their children will carry on to have the designation of princesses.

Prince Andrew has been under intense examination over his links with notorious figure Epstein, more recently including inquiries about when he had really cut off ties.

In his media discussion, the royal had said that he had cut off all links with Jeffrey Epstein after they had been photographed together in NYC in December 2010.

But correspondence sent in early 2011 later surfaced implying that Andrew had confidentially stayed in contact with him, including exchanging a communication: "Stay in contact and we'll play some more soon!"

There had been growing displeasure in Buckingham Palace at the scandals that persisted to envelop the figure.

In the coming days a posthumous memoir by the accuser will be issued which is anticipated to draw more attention on his involvement with Virginia Giuffre and Epstein.