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He is surrendering his designations, among them the the Duke, he has announced in a own words.

He has been under growing pressure over his associations with disgraced financier the financier, with calls for the monarchy to take steps against him.

That now appears to have led to the prince deciding to of his own accord hand back his honors and to relinquish involvement of the prestigious order.

In his message he said he continued to "strongly dispute the accusations against me".

"In discussion with the monarch, and my close and broader family, we have decided the continued claims about me take away from the work of the monarch and the Royal Family," said a message from him.

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

"I support my decision five years ago to withdraw from official duties.

"With the King's consent, we believe I must now go a further step. I will therefore no longer employ my title or the awards which have been conferred upon me. As I have said before, I strongly dispute the claims against me."

He has encountered a series of scandals, among them a court case he ended with the plaintiff, doubts about his finances and his association with an accused foreign agent.

He will remain a prince - but will cease to be the the Duke, a title granted from his the late Queen, the Queen Elizabeth II.

Andrew had already ceased to be a "participating figure" and had given up the use of his His Royal Highness designation and no longer participated at public engagements. His status now will be even more lessened.

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

He has been under severe attention over his links with disgraced financier the financier, more recently involving questions about when he had actually ended contact.

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

But messages sent in early 2011 later came to light suggesting that the prince had confidentially stayed in touch with Epstein, such as exchanging a message: "Stay in contact and we'll play some more soon!"

There had been growing annoyance in the royal household at the scandals that persisted to envelop the figure.

In the coming days a late publication by Giuffre will be published which is anticipated to cast more attention on his association with Ms Giuffre and Epstein.