London, Feb 7 (TIWN) The UK's Prince Andrew has asked to defer an honorary Navy promotion he was due to receive when he turned 60, according to the Buckingham Palace.

Prince Andrew was set to be promoted to Admiral on 19 February, in line with a policy that sees senior royals treated as serving military members.

But the palace said he had asked the Ministry of Defence to defer it until a time when he returns to public duty.

He stepped back from royal duties in November.

It followed after a backlash over his past friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew said his links to the US financier, who was found dead in his jail cell in August while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, had become a "major disruption" to the Royal Family.