King Charles’ state visit to the US concluded on an awkward note after the British Flag was displayed upside down at the farewell ceremony. Sky News US correspondent Mark Stone, writing on X, observed: “Rather a diplomatic gaff by the Americans here. The Union flag is upside down at the Arlington Cemetery event.”
“To deliberately fly the flag upside down is a signal indicating a situation of ‘DISTRESS’. It is also “lese Majeste” (which means: insulting the Crown). This is a really embarrassing protocol failure,” an individual pointed out on X.
The flag pictured at Arlington is not symmetrical, and according to the Flag Institute, the British Flag is upside down if the wide white diagonal stripe is not in the upper-left corner (hoist side) at the top. Correct orientation requires the broad white stripe to be above the red diagonal stripe on the side nearest the flagpole.
This wasn’t the first flag mishap during the royal tour. Washington DC authorities mistakenly hung 15 Australian flags alongside British and American banners while preparing for the monarch’s arrival.
The Union Flag’s asymmetrical appearance stems from a heraldic technique called counterchanging, which was employed to merge the flags of Scotland and Ireland without elevating one above the other.
When Ireland’s red St Patrick’s Cross saltire was incorporated with Scotland’s white St. Andrew’s Cross saltire, designers divided the diagonal bands so the white and red sections alternate in their positioning. Due to this alternating design, the broader white border must consistently appear above the red stripe in the upper section closest to the flagpole (the hoist).
When the narrower white strip sits on top, the “pinwheel” pattern reverses, indicating the flag is displayed upside down.
The King and Queen touched down in the U.S. capital on April 27, 2026, embarking on a prominent four-day state visit arranged by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
This significant journey commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing and features notable occasions, including an elaborate state dinner and an exceptional address by the King before a joint session of Congress.
Covering Washington, New York, and Virginia, the visit aimed to reinforce the “Special Relationship” through events merging traditional British customs with American commemorative celebrations.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
