🔗 Share this article

He is giving up his honors, such as the Duke of York, he has announced in a individual message.

He has been under growing pressure over his connections with sex offender Epstein, with calls for the Palace to take measures against him.

That now looks to have caused the prince deciding to voluntarily hand back his honors and to give up membership of the prestigious order.

In his statement he said he continued to "vigorously deny the allegations against me".

"In talks with the sovereign, and my direct and extended family, we have decided the continued accusations about me take away from the work of the King and the royal household," said a statement from the royal.

"I have opted, as I always have, to put my duty to my kin and land first.

"I support my resolution five years ago to stand back from royal engagements.

"With the monarch's consent, we feel I must now go a further step. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been bestowed on me. As I have said earlier, I vigorously refute the claims against me."

Prince Andrew has encountered a range of issues, among them a legal case he ended with an accuser, doubts about his money matters and his connection with an accused foreign agent.

He will stay a prince - but will stop to be the the Duke, a title received from his parent, the former monarch.

The prince had already ceased to be a "participating figure" and had given up the use of his His Royal Highness designation and no longer appeared at state occasions. His position now will be even more diminished.

His ex-wife will be known as Ferguson and no longer York's Duchess, but their offspring will persist to have the title of royal princess.

The royal has been under severe attention over his connections with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, more lately involving questions about when he had truly ended contact.

In his BBC Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew had said that he had ended all connections with the financier after they had been photographed together in the city in late 2010.

But correspondence sent in the following year later came to light implying that he had in private stayed in touch with him, such as sending a message: "Remain connected and we'll play some more soon!"

There had been growing frustration in Buckingham Palace at the controversies that remained to envelop the prince.

Next week a late publication by the accuser will be released which is likely to draw further focus on his connection with the plaintiff and the financier.