Liverpool Council will not fly Union flag to mark Prince Andrew's birthday
The Union flag will not be flown by Liverpool Council to mark the upcoming 60th birthday of Prince Andrew.
Councils across the country have been told to raise the flag on town hall buildings to mark the Duke of York’s birthday on 19 February.
But, in the wake of Prince Andrew’s controversial friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which led to his reduced role in the Royal Family, Liverpool’s mayor Joe Anderson said the city would not be raising the flag, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Responding to the reports, Mayor Anderson told the site: "No, we won't be doing that.
"I don't think that would be appropriate."
Alluding to the recent fallout from Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview, Mayor Anderson added: "When you look at his behaviour – it wouldn't be appropriate for us to mark his birthday.”
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Andrew stepped down from royal public life in November after the fallout from his disastrous Newsnight appearance.
He was accused of showing a lack of empathy for Epstein's victims and of failing to show regret over his friendship with the disgraced financier.
The bells of Westminster Abbey will still ring out in celebration of the Duke’s 60th birthday.
But it has been confirmed that the policy of flying Union flags on royal birthdays is being re-examined after councils were ordered to do so for Andrew, as is the custom.
Downing Street said the matter was being looked into after critics branded the reminder “crass and offensive”.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils will decide locally when to fly flags.
A spokesman for the LGA said: “Councils have their own flag-raising guidelines or protocols and will decide locally how to respond to any requests to fly particular flags on specific occasions.”