Union flag will not be flown for Prince Andrew’s birthday in Belfast amid sex case

The council will instead fly the union flag on 1 July to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Somme

The Duke will be celebrating his 62nd birthday this year (Getty)

The union flag will not be flown in Belfast on Prince Andrew’s birthday this month amid sexual abuse allegations against him.

The Duke of York’s birthday is 19 February and Tuesday was the final full council meeting before then.

His birthday is on a list of designated days when the government advises the union flag to be flown at council buildings - the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport determines the days.

But Andrew currently faces a civil case in America by accuser Virginia Giuffre, who alleges the duke sexually abused her when she was a teenager. He has strongly denied the allegations.

Belfast City Council has now ruled it will not fly the flag, after agreeing the decision without a vote, according to reports from the meeting by the Belfast Telegraph.

The council instead agreed to fly the union flag on 1 July to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Somme.

At a committee meeting last month, SDLP, Alliance Party and Sinn Féin voted against flying the union flag on Prince Andrew’s birthday, however the DUP voted against the move stating that the council should abide by the existing designated days policy.

The Duke of York was stripped of his honorary military titles last month (PA Archive)

The move to replace Prince Andrew's birthday with an alternative occasion for flying the flag was proposed by the Alliance councillor Nuala McAllister.

She said councillors have a moral duty to think of victims and flying the flag for Prince Andrew's birthday is “not appropriate”.

DUP Councillor Brian Kingston seconded the proposals, stating his party original opposed it in order to protect the number of designated flag-flying days at City Hall.

The SDLP's Donal Lyons said the moves towards agreement on the issue were welcome and the council needed to send a message to the women and girls in Belfast. He added that the flying the flag on the duke's birthday would have been a “seriously retrograde step”.

The Duke of York was stripped of his HRH style and his prestigious honorary military roles by the Queen last month.

The issue of the flying of the Union Flag from City Hall has been proved divisive in the past, with a decision in 2012 by councillors to limit the number of days it is flown from all year round to designated days sparking protests and disorder.

A spokesperson from Belfast City Council said: “A proposal not to fly the flag on 19 February was agreed by twelve votes to six at Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 21 January. This decision was amended by full council to provide that the flag be flown instead on 1 July to mark the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.”