King Charles Visits the USA

Uh-oh. The United Kingdom's national flag was paraded the wrong way during the royal visit to Arlington Cemetery. The Union Jack was mistakenly flown upside down, a breach of flag protocol. The royals laid a wreath and posy at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor the fallen and the military partnership between the United Kingdom and the United States.

Britain's Flag Institute explains that there is a correct way to raise the national emblem. To fly the Union Jack in the proper position, "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." The Union Jack unites the heraldic crosses of the kingdoms of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland where King Charles reigns, though only Northen Ireland has been part of the U.K. since 1921.

Who'da thunk?

But you can see a difference in widths of the white stripes.

So now we know. 

But that does not explain the mix-up in flags a few days before. A similar flag mix-up occurred earlier where Australian flags were displayed instead of the Union Jack. Before the King's visit officially kicked off, Australian flags were briefly raised alongside American flags on the light posts lining a major thoroughfare of Washington, D.C., the King and Queen's first major stop.

I'm not sure how one could confuse the two flags. Admittedly it includes the Union Jack in the upper quadrant. But beyond that, it is not the same.

national flag of Australia