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The
following regulations are circulated by Her Majesty's Command to
the Government Offices concerned |
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| How
the Union flag should be flown: |
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- The broader diagonal white
stripe should be at the top left hand side of the flag
nearest the flagpole.
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| Provincial
buildings: |
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- The Schedule applies to
Provincial as well as to London buildings. Where is has been
the practice to fly the flag daily, as in the case of some
Custom Houses, this may continue.
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| Definition
of a Government building: |
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- A Government building for
the purposes of flag flying is a building that is owned by
the Crown or where the majority of occupants are civil
servants.
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| Occasions
on which the Union flag is to be flown at half mast (half mast
means the flag is flown two-thirds up between the top and bottom
of the flagstaff): |
| a)
from the announcement of the death of The Sovereign, except on
Proclamation Day, when they are flown at full mast form 11am to
sunset; |
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| b)
the funeral of member of the Royal Family, subject to special
commands from Her Majesty in each case; |
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| c)
the funerals of foreign Rulers, subject to special commands from
Her Majesty in each case; |
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| d)
the funeral of Prime Minister, and ex-Prime Ministers of the
United Kingdom, subject to special commands from Her Majesty in
each case; |
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| e)
the Department for culture, Media and Sport will inform you of
any other occasion where Her Majesty has given a special
command. |
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| Rules
when days for flying coincide with days for flying flags at
half-mast: |
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| To
be flown at full mast: |
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| a)
although a member of the Royal Family, or a near relative of the
Royal Family, may be lying dead, unless special commands are
received from Her Majesty to the contrary; |
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| b)
although it may be the day of the funeral of a foreign Ruler. |
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- If the body of a very
distinguished subject is lying at a Government Office the
flag may fly at half-mast on that office until the body has
left (provided it is a day on which the flag would fly) and
then the flag is to be hoisted right up. On all other public
buildings the flag will fly as usual.
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| 20
January |
Birthday
of the Countess of Wessex |
| 6
February |
Her
Majesty's Accession |
| 19
February |
Birthday
of the Duke of York |
| 1 March |
St
David's Day (in Wales only) |
| 10 March |
Birthday
of the Earl of Wessex |
| 14 March |
Commonwealth
Day (second Monday in March) |
| 21 April |
Birthday
Of Her Majesty the Queen |
| 23 April |
St
George's Day (in England only) |
| 9 May |
Europe
Day |
| 2 June |
Coronation
Day |
| 10 June |
Birthday
of the Duke of Edinburgh |
| 11 June |
Official
Celebration of Her Majesty's Birthday |
| 15
August |
Birthday
of the Princess Royal |
| 13
November |
Remembrance
Day (second Sunday) |
| 14
November |
Birthday
of the Prince of Wales |
| 20
November |
Her
Majesty's Wedding Day |
| 30
November |
St
Andrew's Day (in Scotland only) |
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| The
day of the opening of a Session of the Houses of Parliament by
Her Majesty. |
| The
day of the prorogation of a Session of the Houses of Parliament
by Her Majesty. |
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| Notes |
|
| 1.
Where a building has two or more flagstaffs the appropriate
National flag may be flown in addition to the Union flag but not
in a superior position. |
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| 2.
Flags should be flown at full mast all day. |
|
| 3.
Flags should be flown on this day even if Her Majesty does not
perform the ceremony in person. Flags should only be flown in
the Greater London area. |
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| 4.
The Union flag should fly alongside the European flag. On
Government buildings that only have one flagpole, the Union flag
should take precedence. |
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| 5.
If the Queen is to be present in a building, you should get in
touch with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport,
Architecture and Historic Environment Division, 2-4 Cockspur
Street, London SW1Y 5DH. Telephone: 020 7211 2381; Facsimile:
020 7211 2389 |
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| Frequently
Asked Questions |
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| Q.
What time should I fly the Flag? |
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| A.
The Union flag should be flown on Government Buildings from 8am
until sunset. |
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| Q.
Which is the superior position? |
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| A.
The Union flag must always be flown in a superior position i.e: |
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| i)
the highest flagpole |
| ii)
the centre flagpole where there is an odd number of poles of the
same height |
| iii)
the left centre flagpole viewed from the front of the building,
where there is an even number of the same height. |
|
| Q.
What is half mast? |
|
| A.
Half-mast means the flag is flown two-thirds of the way up the
flagpole with at least the height of the flag between the top of
the flag and the top of the flagpole. If more than one flag is
flown they should all be raised at half-mast or not flown at
all. Flags of foreign nationals should not be flown unless their
country is also observing mourning. |
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| Q.
Can I fly the Red Ensign on Merchant Navy |
|
| A.
Merchant Navy Day, on 3rd September, is not one of the appointed
days for flying the Union flag from Government Buildings which
has been agreed by the Royal Household. It is a specific event
that has its own flag so Government Departments with an interest
in Merchant Navy Day may flay the Red Ensign from their
buildings on 3rd September. |
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| Q.
Which way round should I fly the Union flag? |
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| A.
The Union flag must be flown the correct way up. This is with
the wider diagonal stripe above the red diagonal strip in the
half nearest to the flagpole. |
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Rules for Hoisting Flags on Government Buildings