Prince Andrew: Council agrees not to fly union flag on birthday

Prince Andrew is facing a civil action over sexual assault allegations, which he denies

Belfast City Council has agreed not to fly the union flag on Prince Andrew's birthday this month.

Instead, councillors decided that the union flag should be flown on 1 July to mark the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

The move was agreed without a vote.

The decision comes as the prince faces a civil case in America over sexual assault allegations, which he has consistently denied.

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

An SDLP proposal calling for the flag not to be flown in the prince's honour was passed by 12 votes to 6 at a committee meeting last month.

The move to replace Prince Andrew's birthday with an alternative occasion for flying the flag was proposed by the Alliance councillor Nuala McAllister and seconded by the Democratic Unionist Party's Brian Kingston.

Ms McAllister said it was the "responsible thing to do".

Prince Andrew's birthday had been one of the designated days on which the union flag is flown at City Hall

She also said the impact of the World War One Battle of the Somme on people from Belfast meant it should be marked when possible on 1 July.

Mr Kingston said he sought assurances from other parties that the replacement day would be a permanent arrangement and, on that basis, was content to back the proposal.

He said the DUP was against any reduction in the number of days the union flag was flown at City hall.

Due to the Covid pandemic, the meeting of the 60-strong council was held online, with no councillors in the City Hall chamber.

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Belfast City Hall has flown the union flag on designated days - currently 15 a year - since a vote in December 2012 to end its permanent display.

Last month the Duke of York's military titles and royal patronages were returned to the Queen.