Prince Andrew: Bells of Westminster Abbey to ring for Duke of York’s 60th birthday as councils exempt from celebration

UK government says councils will not be forced to mark date by flying flags after backlash

The bells of Westminster Abbey will still ring out to celebrate Prince Andrew’s 60th birthday despite ongoing controversy over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

However, councils will not be required to mark the date after the policy of flying Union flags on royal birthdays was re-examined following criticism from campaigners who said the celebration would be “crass and offensive”.

The Duke of York, who stepped down from royal duties over his relationship with Epstein, celebrates his 60th birthday on 19 February.

He has been embroiled in an ongoing controversy over allegations that he slept with Virginia Giuffre - a woman who claims she was trafficked by Epstein when she was a teenager.

The Duke has repeatedly denied all allegations levelled against him.

“The Department of Culture, Media and Sport will be advising councils that there is no requirement to fly flags on 19 February following the decision by the Duke of York to step back from public duties for the foreseeable future,” a government spokesperson said on Thursday.

Certain royal birthdays, such as the Duke’s, are traditionally marked by the ringing of bells at the Abbey.

A spokesperson for the church, which is in central London, has said there are no plans to change the arrangements for Andrew’s birthday.

The Abbey is where Andrew married his former wife Sarah Ferguson, now Sarah, Duchess of York, in 1986 and where the Queen was married and crowned.

When it was first reported that councils had been reminded to fly the flag for the Duke’s 60th birthday, the government said it would review the long-standing policy.

Joe Anderson, the mayor of Liverpool, said Liverpool City Council would not obey any such request from the government.

“No, we won’t be doing that, I don’t think that would be appropriate,” Mr Anderson told the Liverpool Echo.

“This isn’t to do with being anti-royal, we have flown the flag for the Queen before. But Prince Andrew isn’t a major royal, he’s not a significant member of the royal family.”

The mayor added: “When you look at his behaviour, it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to mark his birthday.”

Republic, a campaign group who want to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state, said councils had better things to worry about than “daft royal protocols”.

“This is crass and offensive, and even at the best of times it is nonsense to be flying flags for Andrew’s, or anyone else’s, birthday,” Graham Smith, Republic’s chief executive, said.

“Councils are struggling to provide core services, they have better things to worry about than daft royal protocols.”

Andrew stepped down from public life in November after a disastrous Newsnight interview addressing the allegations against him.

The Duke was accused of showing a lack of empathy towards Epstein’s victims and widely-mocked over his explanation for the claims made.

Andrew said claims he was sweating heavily during an alleged night out with Ms Roberts could not be true because he did not sweat at the time due to suffering from what he described as “an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War when [he] was shot at”.

He was also accused of failing to show regret for his friendship with Epstein.

“The people I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by [Epstein] or because of him were actually very useful,” the Duke said, when asked about their relationship.

“Do I regret the fact that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming? Yes.”

Andrew has faced calls to talk to the FBI and US prosecutors as part of their investigation into Epstein.

Additional reporting by PA