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Prince Andrew is surrendering his designations, including the Duke of York, he has stated in a own words.

He has been under growing attention over his links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, with demands for the royal household to take steps against him.

That now seems to have caused the royal deciding to voluntarily give up his titles and to surrender involvement of the Garter Order.

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

"In talks with the King, and my immediate and broader family, we have agreed the continued accusations about me take away from the work of the monarch and the royal household," said a statement from the royal.

"I have chosen, as I always have, to put my obligation to my family and country first.

"I stand by my resolution five years ago to withdraw from royal engagements.

"With the monarch's consent, we believe I must now go a additional measure. I will therefore no longer use my title or the awards which have been granted to me. As I have said earlier, I strongly deny the accusations against me."

The royal has encountered a number of controversies, among them a court case he resolved with an accuser, doubts about his money matters and his connection with an suspected Chinese spy.

He will stay a member of royalty - but will stop to be the the Duke, a title received from his parent, the Queen Elizabeth II.

He had already ceased to be a "active member" and had lost the use of his royal style and no longer participated at public engagements. His status now will be even more diminished.

His previous partner will be known as Sarah Ferguson and no longer York's Duchess, but their offspring will continue to have the title of princesses.

He has been under severe attention over his links with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein, more recently including inquiries about when he had truly severed communication.

In his media discussion, he had said that he had severed all links with the financier after they had been photographed together in NYC in December 2010.

But correspondence sent in February 2011 later emerged suggesting that he had privately remained in communication with him, including swapping a message: "Keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!"

There had been increasing annoyance in the royal household at the controversies that remained to envelop the figure.

Next week a posthumous memoir by Giuffre will be released which is expected to draw further attention on Prince Andrew's involvement with Virginia Giuffre and Epstein.