Prince Andrew's Birthday Tribute Canceled in U.K. City

Prince Andrew has been stripped of a birthday honor after a council voted to cancel a flag-raising on his birthday.

The Duke of York, due to turn 62 on February 19, is preparing to contest allegations of sexual abuse in a New York court.

Belfast City Council, in Northern Ireland, was expected to raise the flag to mark his birthday but voted to cancel on the back of the Jeffrey Epstein-related lawsuit.

The move was complicated, however, due to the political significance of Britain's Union Flag in a divided Ireland.

In the past, the U.K. flag flew all year round at Belfast City Hall but since 2012 it is raised only on designated days to balance the desires of Unionists and Nationalists.

Andrew's birthday was one of the few days in the year the Unionists got to fly their flag and councillors from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) voted against scrapping the honor.

Councillor Donal Lyons, of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), proposed the motion in January and, quoted by the BBC, said: "I would ask every councillor to back my proposal.

"I am more than happy to help facilitate an alternative day for the flag to be flown so the unionist community do not lose out on a designated day."

Canceling the honor was voted through at that committee meeting by 12 to 6 but only ratified at a further full council meeting on February 1, when an alternative day was approved to fly the Union Flag.

It will instead be raised on July 1 to mark the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, the BBC reported.

It comes after Judge Lewis Kaplan asked the High Court, in London, to seek the testimony of Robert Olney, Prince Andrew's former equerry, and Shukri Walker, a woman who says she saw the duke at the London nightclub Tramp with a young woman.

Accuser Virginia Giuffre's legal team believes the two potential witnesses may help their case.

Andrew's team wants evidence from Giuffre's husband Robert and from her therapist.

The duke asked for the case to be thrown out in January but efforts by his lawyers were rejected by the court.

The same month he was stripped of his honorary royal titles and patronages by Queen Elizabeth II, his mother.

A Buckingham Palace statement read: "With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen.

"The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."