Which way up will you fly your flag?

When William and Kate marry next weekend you can be sure that a lot of people will be waving or flying Union flags. And many will be flown upside down. Do you know which way up our national flag should be flown?

Look at the corner of the flag that is at the top next to the pole. Running into the corner are two white bands separated by a red band. The upper white band should be broader than the one below the red band, if it is narrower then the flag is upside down.  Wikipedia has a good picture here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Flag#Flying.

It is a common mistake to make particularly if you buy the flag off a street vendor. The flags sold on the streets and in souvenir shops are mostly made in China, and the Chinese don't know which way up to stick the flag on the pole. This was very evident when Prince William's father married Camila, about one third of the people on the pavements were flying upside down flags, most of them were probably bought on the day from a street vendor cashing in on the day. There will be lots of vendors selling flags for William's wedding, so don't be caught out yourself.

It's Upside Down, Sarah

There have been some classic examples in recent years of people getting this wrong. Peter Mandelson proudly signed a trade agreement with Wen Jiaboa of China in front of an upside down flag. Sarah Connelly flew one upside down as she sang Rule Britannia on the last night of the Proms in 2009. And more recently, Dr Brian Cox, in Wonders of the Universe, stuck a Union Flag on the top of a sand castle which had one side the wrong way up and the other side the right way. So if you do make a wally on yourself of the wedding day, you'll be in good company.

Some readers will be questioning why I call it the "Union Flag" rather than the "Union Jack". The only time a flag can be called a jack is when it is flown on the jackstaff of a ship (the flag pole at the very front of the ship) . Only ships of the Royal Navy may fly the Union Jack, and then only in harbour, at anchor or when dressed overall for an occasion such as the Queen’s birthday. For example HMS Cumberland was flying the Union Jack in Benghazi harbour in Libya recently. Occasionally you will see a vessel flying the "Pilot Jack" which is a union flag with a white border, the best example of this is the Mersey Ferry.  It is illegal for ships other than the Royal Navy to fly the Union Flag, but they may fly the Pilot Jack.

Another a bit of flag etiquette for you is that a flag flown at half mast should not be half way down the pole.  It should be hoisted to the top and then lowered just over one flag’s height to allow for the “invisible flag of death”, which signifies death’s presence, to fly above it.  However the Flag Institute has now decreed that a flag at half mast should be flown at two thirds mast, so you'll probably never see it done properly now.

Best Wishes

Adrian