Which way up the flag is flown actually has a deep historical meaning for the British, whose Royal Navy ships once allowed them to rule the world’s oceans. This is because, when you have hundreds of ships and no means of communication, the use of flags becomes very important.
Britain’s navy would only ever fly their ensign, or flag, upside down if they were in some kind of distress. So flying the Union Jack the wrong way up is actually a major faux pas, just as it would be with the Stars and Stripes.
King Charles has finished his four-day state visit, which has been viewed as a success by all sides (
“It is most improper to fly the flag upside down,” the Flag Institute states.
And in a sign of how hard it can be to get all these diplomatic rules right, this was not even the only flag mishap that took place during the state visit by King Charles, who is also the ruler of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and a number of island states around the world.
ABC reporter James Longman spotted the flag error, which happened earlier this week, on streetlights around the capital.
He shared: “For about two hours, they put the Australian flag up alongside the Stars and Stripes… I think they realized their mistake, and they’ve replaced them now with the Union Jack.”
But if these mistakes had any impact on the king’s diplomatic mission, it didn’t show, with President Trump announcing a relaxation on whisky tariffs from the UK as a result of Charles’ negotiations.
