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Her Majesty was due to promote her second son ahead of his 60th birthday later this month. But Andrew will turn down the honour in an effort to protect the Queen from the ­fallout over the Epstein sex trafficking scandal.

The move would have been in line with a longstanding policy under which senior royals are treated as if they had stayed in the Armed Forces and are promoted to higher ranks as a result.

But the Duke of York, who turns 60 on February 19, has agreed to fall on his ceremonial sword and decline to accept – at least for now – the promotion, which would have followed promotions to Rear Admiral on his 50th birthday and Vice Admiral when he was 55.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: “By convention, the Duke of York would be in line for military promotion on his 60th birthday.

“Following the decision by His Royal Highness to step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, the Duke of York has asked the Ministry of Defence if this promotion might be deferred until such time that His Royal Highness returns to public duty.”

Andrew, who left the Navy in 2001 to become a full-time ­working royal, is by no means the only member of the family to be promoted as if he were still in the forces.

His elder brother, Prince Charles, was made an Admiral at the age of 58 and his sister Princess Anne was given the same honour at 62.