Prince Andrew decided to turn down his military promotion as an admiral for his 60th birthday. The Duke of York declined to follow in the longstanding royal tradition, opting instead to celebrate his birthday as low-key as possible.
Queen Elizabeth's third child is turning 60 on Feb. 19. Apparently, however, cities around the U.K. were told it would not need to fly the Union flag.
This was the response of the government amid the angry reactions against Prince Andrew's upcoming milestone. Some local government officials said that it won't be appropriate for the public to celebrate the Duke of York's birthday because of his recent behaviors.
Prince Andrew received major backlash after he sat down for an interview on BBC with regards his friendship to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Sponsors and other organizations working with the royal family pulled out their support for as long as Prince Andrew was the patron.
Apparently, the public didn't like that Prince Andrew never apologized to Epstein's victims. He only apologized for his friendship with Epstein, which started almost a decade ago.
Buckingham Palace has also foregone the special birthday celebration accorded to royals when they turn 60. The most audible indication that it's a royal's special day on Feb. 19 would be the ringing of the bells at Westminster Abbey.
The one public engagement Prince Andrew won't be able to turn down, however, is the wedding of his daughter, Princess Beatrice, to her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. A source told Harper's Bazaar that Prince Andrew is ready to give his eldest daughter away on May 29 at the St. James Palace Chapel Royal.
This wedding will be the most high-profile event for Prince Andrew after he announced he was indefinitely giving up his royal duties last November. Since then, the Duke of York has been hardly seen in public and has painstakingly avoided the media. He was not even photographed during his daughter's engagement party though some sources said he was present with his family.
Princess Beatrice's wedding will not have any live media coverage but it will be shown in news programs across the country. The ceremony will follow in Buckingham Palace, as Queen Elizabeth offered to the young couple.
Meanwhile, reports stated that Prince Andrew asked defer his military honors and promotion when he returns to his royal duties, per Buckingham Palace. It's unclear, however, when this will take place.
