The Queen has publicly wished her son Prince Andrew a happy 60th birthday. A post shared on The Royal Family Instagram account on Wednesday shows two images, one of Andrew as a baby on the lap of the Queen Mother, and a second more recent photo. The accompanying text reads: "On this day in 1960, Prince Andrew was born at Buckingham Palace, the first child born to a reigning monarch for 103 years. Happy Birthday to The Duke of York." Andrew's two older siblings, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, were both born during the reign of their maternal grandfather King George VI, before the Queen's coronation in 1953.
Andrew is set to celebrate his landmark birthday in private. The Queen's son shares daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and the pair have remained on good terms since their divorce. He will no doubt spend his special day with them at home in Windsor. Andrew has only been seen out in public once this year, attending church with his mother in Sandringham at the start of the year. The pair were pictured chatting to well-wishers before going to the Sunday service.
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The Duke recently turned down a military promotion after stepping back from public duties in November. Andrew was due to be promoted to Admiral on his birthday, in line with a longstanding policy that sees senior royals treated as serving military members. 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."