Union Jack explained: the release driving the conversation

Britain's national flag, the Union Jack, was spotted upside down during King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Union Jack has emerged this Friday as one of the stories drawing attention in New Zealand.

Key facts

• Britain's national flag, the Union Jack, was spotted upside down during King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
• The British Union Jack was spotted upside down during a royal visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
• Before the King and Queen's first stop in the U.S., ABC News host-reporter James Longman noticed on April 24 that several Australian national flags, and not the Union Jack, were raised next to U.S. flags on the posts along a major Washington, D.C., thoroughfare.
• Last week, in anticipation of His Majesty’s arrival, maintenance crews adorned lampposts near the White House with the Union Jack—except they actually got it wrong, and hung the Australian flag.
• Flying the Union Jack upside down is considered improper according to Britain's Flag Institute.

What we know

Going deeper, the British Union Jack was spotted upside down during a royal visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

On the substance, before the King and Queen's first stop in the U.S., ABC News host-reporter James Longman noticed on April 24 that several Australian national flags, and not the Union Jack, were raised next to U.S. flags on the posts along a major Washington, D.C., thoroughfare.

Beyond the headlines, Last week, in anticipation of His Majesty’s arrival, maintenance crews adorned lampposts near the White House with the Union Jack—except they actually got it wrong, and hung the Australian flag.

More precisely, Flying the Union Jack upside down is considered improper according to Britain's Flag Institute.

It is worth noting that Photographs show that during the royal couple's stop at the Virginia cemetery, the Union Jack's red and white stripes were wrong side up.

By the numbers

At this stage, the planning for the royal visit to Washington, in celebration of America’s semiquincentennial, was under way long before the British Embassy even knew who would win the 2024 Presidential election.

On a related note, a military entourage for King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit April 30 to Arlington National Cemetery carried the United Kingdom's national flag upside down, setting off pithy remarks in the British press.

Going deeper, Arlington National is the final resting place for over 400,000 active-duty service members, veterans, and their families, honoring those who served the U.S.

On the substance, it is most improper to fly the flag upside down," according to the institute's 20-page "Flying Flags in the United Kingdom, A Guide to Britain's Flag Protocol.

What they're saying

“I think we’re all Anglophiles,” Daniel Boorstin, the Librarian of Congress, had noted during a previous royal visit.

The wider context

On a related note, In its US version, the Express headline noted: "Huge 'signal of distress' mistake made as Trump and King Charles pay respects." In the world of flags, flying the Union Jack upside down literally signifies a situation of distress.

Going deeper, Upside-down Union Jack wasn't the only flag mishap during royal visit.

On the substance, this wasn't the first known mistake involving the Union Jack related to Charles and Camilla's visit.

Beyond the headlines, while Australian flags display the British Union Jack in the upper left, the flag also has a large white seven-pointed "Commonwealth Star" below, and five smaller white stars representing its geographic location, according to the National Archives of Australia.

More precisely, I think they realized their mistake, and they've replaced them now with the Union Jack.

The bottom line

• The British Union Jack was spotted upside down during a royal visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
• Before the King and Queen's first stop in the U.S., ABC News host-reporter James Longman noticed on April 24 that several Australian national flags, and not the Union Jack, were raised next to U.S. flags on the posts along a major Washington, D.C., thoroughfare.
• This wasn't the first known mistake involving the Union Jack related to Charles and Camilla's visit.
• Searches spiking right now: 'Diplomatic gaffe': Union Jack flag was upside down during royal visit, Union Jack Flag Flown Upside Down During King Charles and Queen Camilla's Visit to Arlington Cemetery, Diplomatic gaffe sees union jack hung upside down during King and Queen's visit to Arlington National Cemetery, DC mistakenly displayed Australian flag instead of Union Jack ahead of Charles visit.