🔗 Share this article Prince Andrew surrenders his title as Duke of York. Prince Andrew has faced mounting pressure over his associations with the convicted sex offender. He is relinquishing his honors, including the the Duke, he has declared in a personal statement. He has been under increasing pressure over his links with disgraced financier Epstein, with requests for the monarchy to take steps against him. That now appears to have led to the prince deciding to voluntarily give up his designations and to give up involvement of the prestigious order. In his announcement he said he continued to "firmly deny the claims against me". "In consultation with the monarch, and my immediate and extended family, we have concluded the ongoing claims about me divert from the duties of the King and the Royal Family," said a statement from the royal. "I have decided, as I always have, to put my obligation to my relatives and nation first. "I support my decision five years ago to stand back from official duties. "With the monarch's consent, we think I must now go a additional measure. I will therefore no longer hold my designation or the distinctions which have been bestowed on me. As I have said earlier, I firmly deny the accusations against me." The royal has encountered a range of scandals, among them a court case he resolved with an accuser, doubts about his economic affairs and his connection with an suspected intelligence operative. He will stay a member of royalty - but will discontinue to be the York's Duke, a designation received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth. Andrew had already stopped to be a "active member" and had forfeited the use of his HRH title and no longer participated at state occasions. His status now will be even more diminished. His former spouse will be known as Sarah Ferguson and no longer the Duchess, but their offspring will persist to have the honor of princesses. He has been under intense attention over his associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, more recently involving inquiries about when he had actually severed ties. In his media discussion, Prince Andrew had said that he had ended all ties with the financier after they had been pictured together in NYC in December 2010. But emails sent in early 2011 later surfaced implying that the prince had confidentially continued in touch with him, for example swapping a communication: "Remain connected and we'll meet again soon!" There had been growing displeasure in the royal household at the controversies that continued to plague the royal. In the coming days a posthumous memoir by the accuser will be published which is likely to bring more attention on the royal's association with the plaintiff and Jeffrey Epstein.