The Duke of York gives up his honor as York's Duke.
He is relinquishing his titles, among them the the Duke, he has announced in a own words.
He has been under growing attention over his associations with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, with calls for the monarchy to take steps against him.
That now looks to have led to the royal deciding to willingly hand back his titles and to relinquish involvement of the Garter Order.
In his announcement he said he continued to "firmly deny the allegations against me".
"In discussion with the King, and my close and extended family, we have concluded the ongoing claims about me distract from the work of the monarch and the Royal Family," said a message from Prince Andrew.
"I have chosen, as I always have, to put my responsibility to my kin and country first.
"I stand by my resolution five years ago to step back from official duties.
"With His Majesty's consent, we think I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer hold my designation or the distinctions which have been granted to me. As I have said before, I vigorously refute the accusations against me."
The royal has faced a range of scandals, such as a court case he resolved with Virginia Giuffre, doubts about his economic affairs and his involvement with an accused Chinese spy.
He will remain a member of royalty - but will cease to be the York's Duke, a title granted from his the late Queen, the former monarch.
The prince had already stopped to be a "active member" and had lost the use of his His Royal Highness designation and no longer was seen at public engagements. His status now will be even more reduced.
His ex-wife will be known as Sarah Ferguson and no longer Duchess of York, but their daughters will persist to have the title of princesses.
Prince Andrew has encountered severe attention over his links with notorious figure the financier, more in recent times including doubts about when he had actually ended contact.
In his BBC Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew had said that he had severed all ties with the financier after they had been photographed together in New York in December 2010.
But correspondence sent in early 2011 later emerged suggesting that Andrew had privately continued in contact with the financier, for example swapping a note: "Remain connected and we'll have further interactions soon!"
There had been mounting annoyance in the royal household at the issues that persisted to envelop the royal.
In the coming days a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre will be published which is expected to cast further scrutiny on the royal's involvement with Ms Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein.
