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.<\/p>\n
The king and queen have not yet remarked on the juxtaposition. Charles and Camilla paid their respects and laid a wreath and a posy\u00a0at the\u00a0Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the cemetery before traveling to rural Virginia to attend separate events. 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.<\/p>\n
According to Britain’s\u00a0Flag Institute<\/a>, “in the half of the flag nearest the flagpole, the wider diagonal white stripe must be above the red diagonal stripe, as Scotland’s St. Andrew’s Cross takes precedence over Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Cross.” Photos show it was just the opposite.<\/p>\n “It is most improper to fly the flag upside down,”\u00a0according to the institute’s 20-page “Flying Flags in the United Kingdom, A Guide to Britain’s Flag Protocol.”<\/p>\n The institute’s guide also said the flag signifies the unity of the nations that make up the United Kingdom and demonstrates the bonds of citizenship which we all share. “Whatever our differences may be, whatever our faith, culture, political views, ethnicity, first language, or traditional customs, we can all stand beneath this flag united together in common purpose,” the guide said.<\/p>\n Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetary in Arlington, Virginia on April 30, 2026.<\/p>\n The British Embassy in Washington and the White House did not immediately return USA TODAY’s requests for comment.<\/p>\n King Charles marks final day of US visit at Tomb of Unknown Soldier<\/p>\n 1 of 15<\/p>\n King Charles III and Queen Camilla present a bouquet of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on the final day of the state visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on April 30, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the nation’s capital, New York City, and Virginia during the trip arranged to celebrate the United States of America’s 250th anniversary of its independence.<\/p>\n A fitting finish: King Charles, Queen Camilla wrap up US visit with Virginia trip: recap<\/a><\/p>\n Upside-down Union Jack wasn’t the only flag mishap during royal visit<\/p>\n This wasn’t the first known mistake involving the Union Jack related to Charles and Camilla’s visit.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n “For about two hours, they put the Australian flag up alongside the Stars and Stripes,” Longman said in a video posted to his\u00a0Instagram<\/a> page. “I think they realized their mistake, and they’ve replaced them now with the Union Jack.”<\/p>\n A D.C. Department of Transportation official told the\u00a0Washington Examiner<\/a>\u00a0that the Aussie flag mix-up was just limited to light posts in that area and was quickly corrected once identified.<\/p>\n The transportation official said the flags are typically kept in a storage room, and the department is looking into whether the flags were placed in the wrong box or mislabeled, the Examiner reported.<\/p>\n This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Union Jack flew upside down during royal visit to Arlington cemetery<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Britain's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a49f5249319954d97ef67d80cb7ca3df.jpeg\"\/)
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