The royal figure relinquishes his designation as the Duke.

Prince Andrew is relinquishing his designations, such as the the Duke, he has announced in a personal statement.

He has been under mounting attention over his links with sex offender the financier, with requests for the royal household to take action against him.

That now looks to have resulted in the royal deciding to voluntarily return his designations and to give up membership of the Garter Order.

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

"In talks with the sovereign, and my close and extended family, we have concluded the persistent claims about me divert from the responsibilities of His Majesty and the royal household," said a announcement from him.

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

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

"With the King's consent, we think I must now go a further step. I will therefore no longer use my title or the awards which have been bestowed on me. As I have said before, I firmly dispute the accusations against me."

He has faced a series of issues, among them a legal case he ended with Virginia Giuffre, inquiries about his economic affairs and his connection with an suspected Chinese spy.

He will remain a prince - but will discontinue to be the Duke of York, a title received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.

The prince had already stopped to be a "participating figure" and had lost the use of his His Royal Highness designation and no longer was seen at public engagements. His role now will be even more diminished.

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

He has encountered intense examination over his associations with convicted sex offender Epstein, more in recent times featuring questions about when he had really severed communication.

In his media discussion, he had said that he had ended all ties with the financier after they had been seen together in New York in the end of 2010.

But messages sent in February 2011 later came to light implying that the prince had privately stayed in contact with him, including sending a note: "Stay in contact and we'll play some more soon!"

There had been increasing displeasure in the royal household at the scandals that persisted to envelop the prince.

Next week a late publication by the accuser will be released which is likely to cast further attention on the royal's association with Virginia Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein.