Flags at Buckingham Palace

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Flags at Buckingham Palace vary according to the movements of court and tradition. The Queen's Flag Sergeant is responsible for all flags flown from the palace.

[edit] Tradition

Until 1997 the only flag to fly from Buckingham Palace was the Royal Standard, the official flag of the reigning British sovereign, and only when the sovereign was in residence at the palace. Even in times of mourning, the Royal Standard would not fly at half mast. The only time another flag would fly from the Palace would be upon the death of the sovereign, when the flag of the next senior member of the Royal Family present at the palace would be raised. In 1952, the Standard of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was raised upon the death of George VI of the United Kingdom because the new sovereign, Elizabeth II, was still in residence at Clarence House.

[edit] Change of Tradition

This tradition changed in 1997, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the press reported alleged public outrage because the palace did not fly a flag at half mast, although, in fact, much of the public fully understood the reasons for the absence of a flag. The Queen was at Balmoral Castle at the time, so there was no flag flying. In response to this display of public opinion, the Queen ordered a break with protocol and the Union Flag was flown at half mast over the Palace on the day of Diana's funeral. Since then, the Union Flag flies from the Palace when the Queen is not in residence, and has flown at half mast upon the deaths of members of the Royal Family, and other times of national mourning such as following the terrorist bombings in London on 7 July 2005 and the death of former U.S. president Gerald Ford.