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The royal is giving up his honors, such as the the Duke, he has stated in a individual message.

He has been under mounting attention over his links with disgraced financier the financier, with demands for the royal household to take measures against him.

That now seems to have resulted in the royal deciding to voluntarily give up his honors and to relinquish involvement of the Order of the Garter.

In his message he said he continued to "vigorously refute the accusations against me".

"In discussion with the monarch, and my direct and wider family, we have decided the continued allegations about me divert from the duties of His Majesty and the monarchy," said a statement from him.

"I have opted, as I always have, to put my responsibility to my family and country first.

"I support my choice five years ago to withdraw from royal engagements.

"With the King's approval, we think I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer hold my designation or the distinctions which have been bestowed on me. As I have said previously, I vigorously dispute the allegations against me."

The royal has faced a range of issues, such as a legal case he ended with an accuser, inquiries about his finances and his association with an suspected foreign agent.

He will remain a royal - but will stop to be the the Duke, a honor granted from his mother, the former monarch.

Andrew had already ceased to be a "participating figure" and had forfeited the use of his HRH title and no longer was seen at public engagements. His status now will be even more lessened.

His previous partner will be known as Ferguson and no longer York's Duchess, but their daughters will persist to have the designation of princess.

The royal has faced severe attention over his associations with convicted sex offender Epstein, more in recent times including questions about when he had truly ended communication.

In his media discussion, he had said that he had severed all links with Jeffrey Epstein after they had been seen together in New York in late 2010.

But emails sent in February 2011 later came to light indicating that he had privately stayed in touch with him, for example sending a message: "Stay in contact and we'll have further interactions soon!"

There had been mounting displeasure in the monarchy at the controversies that persisted to envelop the prince.

Next week a posthumous memoir by Giuffre will be published which is likely to draw additional focus on Prince Andrew's association with the plaintiff and Epstein.