A tribute for Prince Andrew's birthday has been canceled in light of his recent sex abuse case, in yet another move to shun the disgraced royal from public life.
- A tribute for Prince Andrew's birthday has been canceled in light of his recent sex abuse case.
- The Duke of York will turn 62 on February 19, a few days after he reached a settlement with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.
- In other royal news, Prince Harry could be interviewed by police after raising concern over Prince Charles’ Saudi billionaire friend.
A Prince Andrew birthday tribute has been scrapped following his sex abuse settlement earlier this week, in yet another sign that the disgraced royal has been permanently shunned from public life.
It has long been a tradition for Northern Ireland to honor senior members of the Royal Family on special occasions by flying the Union Flag at its government buildings in Belfast.
However, it looks like the Duke of York—who turns 62 on Saturday, 19 February—is no longer eligible for the windy salute.
Belfast City councilors voted not to recognize Prince Andrew's birthday last month, in light of the allegations of sex abuse facing the royal. It has also been decided that in 2022, only the birthdays of the Queen and the Prince of Wales will be commemorated.
The Union Flag is traditionally flown on the birthdays of senior royals
The news comes amid ongoing calls for the Queen to remove Prince Andrew's Duke of York title. Her Majesty granted her second youngest child the noble moniker, which was previously held by George VI, in celebration of his 1986 wedding to Sarah Ferguson. The 95-year-old monarch is now under intense pressure to revoke the dukedom, along with the Duke's remaining military title of Vice-Admiral.
The Queen has already stripped Andrew of his royal patronages and his HRH title, and confirmed that he will no longer undertake any public duties. He has also reportedly been banned from the Platinum Jubilee 2022 celebrations in June.
However, it doesn't look likely that the royal matriarch will revoke the Duke's peerage. Contrary to popular belief, the Queen doesn't have the legal right to remove a Dukedom—even if she was the one to grant it.
"As I understand it, it does have to be an act of parliament that revokes his title," the It's an ancient Dukedom," royal expert Emily Andrews explained.
"Perhaps the Queen could ask him not to use it in the same way that she's put his HRH His Royal Highness title in abeyance."
As for Prince Andrew's birthday plans, it's highly unlikely he'll be having a big bash to mark the occasion. For his 50th, he enjoyed a double whammy of festivities—starting with a lavish dinner in the Swiss Alps followed by a Buckingham Palace party attended by 300 guests. Fast forward 12 years, and the Duke is looking at a very different type of birthday.
With no reported arrangements in order for the day, the exiled royal is likely to spend the day in the company of his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, at the Royal Lodge. It's unknown whether or not he'll be visited by his siblings, Charles, Anne, and Edward, or the Queen.
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