The bells of Westminster Abbey will still ring out to celebrate Prince Andrew’s 60th birthday despite ongoing controversy over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

However, councils will not be required to mark the date after the policy of flying Union flags on royal birthdays was re-examined following criticism from campaigners who said the celebration would be “crass and offensive”.

The Duke of York, who stepped down from royal duties over his relationship with Epstein, celebrates his 60th birthday on 19 February.

He has been embroiled in an ongoing controversy over allegations that he slept with Virginia Giuffre - a woman who claims she was trafficked by Epstein when she was a teenager.

The Duke has repeatedly denied all allegations levelled against him.

Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, 2018 Princess Eugenie, eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, and her husband, wine merchant Jack Brooksbank, hold hands as they descend the stairs outside St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after their nuptials on 12 October 2018 Getty Images Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Prince Harry and Meghan, 2018 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex emerge from the West Door of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle after their wedding ceremony AFP/Getty Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Zara and Mike, 2011 Zara Phillips and her new husband Mike Tindall kiss outside Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh after their wedding PA Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Prince William and Catherine Middleton, 2011 Prince William and his wife Kate kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace next to bridesmaids Margarita Armstrong-Jones (right) and Grace Van Cutsem (left), following their wedding at Westminster Abbey PA Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, 2008 Peter Phillips, the eldest grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Canadian Autumn Kelly leave St. George's Chapel in Windsor after their marriage ceremony PA Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Charles and Camilla, 2005 The Prince of Wales and his bride Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall leave St George's Chapel in Windsor, following the church blessing of their civil wedding ceremony PA Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Lady Armstrong-Jones and Daniel Chatto, 1994 Lady Armstrong-Jones arrives with her bridesmaids, Lady Francis Armstrong-Jones, Zara Phillips and Tara Noble Singh at St Stephen Walbrook Church, City of London, for her wedding to Daniel Chatto PA Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Viscount Linley and Serena Stanhope, 1993 Serena Stanhope with her father Viscount Petersham at Claridges Hotel, London en route to St Margaret's Church, Westminster for her wedding to Viscount Linley (David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon) PA Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Lady Helen and Tim Taylor, 1992 Lady Helen Windsor and her husband , Tim Taylor, on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, after their wedding ceremony PA Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Edward and Sophie, 1992 Prince Edward, his wife Sophie Rhys- Jones and her pageboys and bridesmaids leave St. George's Chapel in Windsor after their wedding. 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“The Department of Culture, Media and Sport will be advising councils that there is no requirement to fly flags on 19 February following the decision by the Duke of York to step back from public duties for the foreseeable future,” a government spokesperson said on Thursday.

Certain royal birthdays, such as the Duke’s, are traditionally marked by the ringing of bells at the Abbey.

A spokesperson for the church, which is in central London, has said there are no plans to change the arrangements for Andrew’s birthday.

The Abbey is where Andrew married his former wife Sarah Ferguson, now Sarah, Duchess of York, in 1986 and where the Queen was married and crowned.

When it was first reported that councils had been reminded to fly the flag for the Duke’s 60th birthday, the government said it would review the long-standing policy.

Joe Anderson, the mayor of Liverpool, said Liverpool City Council would not obey any such request from the government.

“No, we won’t be doing that, I don’t think that would be appropriate,” Mr Anderson told the Liverpool Echo.

“This isn’t to do with being anti-royal, we have flown the flag for the Queen before. But Prince Andrew isn’t a major royal, he’s not a significant member of the royal family.”

The mayor added: “When you look at his behaviour, it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to mark his birthday.”

Republic, a campaign group who want to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state, said councils had better things to worry about than “daft royal protocols”.

“This is crass and offensive, and even at the best of times it is nonsense to be flying flags for Andrew’s, or anyone else’s, birthday,” Graham Smith, Republic’s chief executive, said.

“Councils are struggling to provide core services, they have better things to worry about than daft royal protocols.”

Andrew stepped down from public life in November after a disastrous Newsnight interview addressing the allegations against him.

The Duke was accused of showing a lack of empathy towards Epstein’s victims and widely-mocked over his explanation for the claims made.

Andrew said claims he was sweating heavily during an alleged night out with Ms Roberts could not be true because he did not sweat at the time due to suffering from what he described as “an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War when [he] was shot at”.

He was also accused of failing to show regret for his friendship with Epstein.

“The people I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by [Epstein] or because of him were actually very useful,” the Duke said, when asked about their relationship.

“Do I regret the fact that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming? Yes.”

Andrew has faced calls to talk to the FBI and US prosecutors as part of their investigation into Epstein.