The Queen: Why are flags at full mast today? When are flags flown at half-mast

After the death of Her Majesty The Queen on Thursday night, all official flags, including the Union flag, should have been half-masted as soon as possible – and should remain as such until 8am on the day after The Queen’s state funeral. The funeral is on Monday, September 19 and so flags may be flown at full mast from 8am on the Tuesday.

However, there is an exception to this rule.

Flags should have been flown at full mast on Saturday, September 10, the day of the Accession Council when His Majesty The King was formally proclaimed.

The government’s guidance says that the Union Flag and all other official flags should have been raised to full mast between the hours of 9am and 10.30am and should remain at full mast until this afternoon (Sunday), at which point the Union and official flags should return to being flown at half mast.

This is so that flags at at full mast both for the national proclamation yesterday, and the local proclamations. Portsmouth’s proclamation is in Guildhall Square at 2pm today, and those in Fareham, Havant and Gosport are at the same time.

The statement from the government says: ‘Official flags in this instance are defined as national flags of the home nations, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, Ensigns and Ships’ colours.

‘Any non-official flags flying or due to be flown, such as the Rainbow Flag or the Armed Forces Day Flag, should be taken down and replaced with a Union Flag at half-mast. Other official flags scheduled to be flown can be flown as normal, but at half-mast.

‘Half-mast means the flag is flown a third of the way down the flagpole from the top, with at least the height of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the flagpole.

‘On poles that are more than 45° from the vertical, flags cannot be flown at half-mast and should not be flown at all.

‘The Union Flag must be flown the correct way up - in the half of the flag nearest the flagpole, the wider diagonal white stripe must be above the red diagonal stripe. Please see the College of Arms guidance

Royal Standard

‘The Royal Standard is never flown at half-mast even after the death of a monarch, as there is always a Sovereign on the throne and it would therefore be inappropriate for it to fly at half-mast. The Union Flag will be flown at half mast on all Royal Residences.’