Prince Andrew has confirmed that he will give up all his royal titles and honours, including the Duke of York, though he will retain the style of prince as he was born the son of Queen Elizabeth II. His former wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also no longer use her title of The Duchess of York.

In a statement, Prince Andrew said:

‍"In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.

"I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.

"With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.

"As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."

The move follows increased pressure on Prince Andrew after further reports emerged regarding his previous associations with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his connection to an alleged Chinese spy.

Prince Andrew has denied allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims who died by suicide in April, concerning sexual assault. She had filed a civil lawsuit accusing Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her on three occasions after being introduced to him by Epstein. In a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, he claimed he had no knowledge of ever meeting Giuffre and suggested a widely circulated image of them together had been doctored. The case was eventually settled out of court for a sum believed to be around £12 million.

The change is understood to take effect immediately, and the King is reported to be glad of the outcome.

Prince Andrew will continue to be known as Prince Andrew and will remain living at the Windsor Estate at the Royal Lodge. The decision does not affect the position of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. For the second consecutive year, he will not attend the Royal Family’s annual Christmas celebrations at Sandringham.