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Prince Andrew is relinquishing his designations, including the the Duke, he has stated in a individual message.

He has been under increasing attention over his associations with disgraced financier Epstein, with calls for the monarchy to take measures against him.

That now looks to have caused the prince deciding to of his own accord return his titles and to surrender involvement of the Order of the Garter.

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

"In talks with the King, and my direct and broader family, we have concluded the ongoing allegations about me distract from the responsibilities of the King and the Royal Family," said a message from the royal.

"I have chosen, as I always have, to put my responsibility to my relatives and nation first.

"I stand by my decision five years ago to step back from official duties.

"With His Majesty's consent, we believe I must now go a further step. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said earlier, I vigorously dispute the allegations against me."

He has encountered a series of controversies, including a legal case he resolved with Virginia Giuffre, doubts about his money matters and his association with an alleged Chinese spy.

He will continue to be a royal - but will stop to be the York's Duke, a honor received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.

Andrew had already stopped to be a "participating figure" and had forfeited the use of his royal style and no longer was seen at public engagements. His position now will be even more diminished.

His previous partner will be known as Sarah Ferguson and no longer York's Duchess, but their daughters will carry on to have the title of royal princess.

The royal has encountered severe scrutiny over his associations with disgraced financier the financier, more in recent times including doubts about when he had actually severed ties.

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

But correspondence sent in February 2011 later emerged suggesting that he had confidentially stayed in touch with the financier, for example swapping a communication: "Remain connected and we'll play some more soon!"

There had been increasing frustration in Buckingham Palace at the scandals that remained to surround the royal.

Soon a posthumous memoir by Giuffre will be issued which is likely to draw more scrutiny on the royal's connection with Virginia Giuffre and the financier.