🔗 Share this article

He is giving up his designations, among them the York's Duke, he has announced in a individual message.

He has been under increasing scrutiny over his connections with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, with demands for the royal household to take measures against him.

That now appears to have led to the figure deciding to voluntarily hand back his designations and to relinquish membership of the prestigious order.

In his announcement he said he continued to "strongly refute the accusations against me".

"In discussion with the sovereign, and my immediate and broader family, we have decided the ongoing allegations about me divert from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family," said a announcement from the royal.

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

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

"With His Majesty's consent, we think I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer employ my designation or the awards which have been conferred upon me. As I have said before, I firmly dispute the allegations against me."

He has faced a range of scandals, among them a legal case he resolved with an accuser, doubts about his economic affairs and his association with an suspected Chinese spy.

He will remain a member of royalty - but will cease to be the York's Duke, a honor received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.

Andrew had already ceased to be a "active member" and had given up the use of his His Royal Highness designation and no longer was seen at state occasions. His status now will be even more lessened.

His former spouse will be known as Ferguson and no longer York's Duchess, but their daughters will continue to have the title of princess.

The royal has been under severe examination over his connections with notorious figure the financier, more in recent times featuring inquiries about when he had really cut off communication.

In his television appearance, he had said that he had severed all ties with Jeffrey Epstein after they had been seen together in New York in December 2010.

But messages sent in early 2011 later came to light suggesting that he had privately stayed in communication with Epstein, for example swapping a message: "Keep in close touch and we'll meet again soon!"

There had been growing frustration in the monarchy at the issues that continued to plague the royal.

In the coming days a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre will be published which is likely to cast additional focus on his connection with the plaintiff and Jeffrey Epstein.