ST GEORGE’S CHURCH

FLAG FLYING DAYS DURING 2021

FLAG FLYING DAYS

DATE	CELEBRATING	FLAG FLOWN
January 9th	Birthday of the Countess of Cambridge
January 20th	Birthday of the Countess of Wessex
February 6th	Her Majesty's Accession
March 8th	Commonwealth Day
March 10th	Birthday of The Earl of Wessex
April 21st	Birthday of Her Majesty The Queen
April 23rd	St George's Day
May 15th	Armed Forces Day
June 2nd	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Day
June 10th	Birth of the Duke of Edinburgh
June 13th	Official celebration of Her Majesty Birthday
June 21st	Birthday of the Duke of Cambridge
July 17th	Birthday of the Duchess of Cornwall
August 15th	Birthday of the Princess Royal
November 11th	Remembrance Day
November 14th	Remembrance Sunday & Birthday of The Prince of Wales
November 20th	Her Majesty's Wedding Day

Union Flag Flying Days When should Union Flags be flown?

The Culture Secretary has decided that government buildings in England should have the freedom to fly the Union flag whenever they want until a longer-term decision is taken.  There are 20 fixed days each year on which the Union flag should be flown on command of Her Majesty on Government buildings, along with certain variable date days, these are all listed below. A Government building for this purpose is generally accepted to mean a building owned or used by the Crown and predominately occupied or used by Civil Servants or Her Majesty’s Armed Forces.  Individuals, local authorities and other organisations may fly the Union flag whenever they wish, subject to compliance with any local planning requirements. The Union flag should be flown during daylight hours between 8:00am and sunset.

How should the Union Flag be flown?

The correct way up for the Union Flag when flying is with the broader diagonal white stripe at the top left hand side of the flag nearest the flagpole :

The Union Flag must always be flown in a ‘superior’ position:

On the highest flagpole.

On the centre flagpole where there is an odd number of poles of the same height.

or

On the left centre flagpole viewed from the front of the building, where there is an even number of the same height.

What is half-mast and when should flags be flown at half-mast?

When flags are to be flown at half-mast they should be two-thirds up between the top and bottom of the flagstaff with at least the height of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the flagpole.  When raising the flag it should always be hoisted right up and then lowered back down to half-mast. Likewise before it is lowered at sunset, it should first be hoisted right up and then lowered back down.

Flags should be flown at half-mast on the following occasions:

From the announcement of the death up to the funeral of the Sovereign, except on Proclamation Day (the Day of the announcement of the Accession of the new Sovereign), when the flags are hoisted right up from 11:00 am to sunset,

In the event of the death of a member of the Royal Family, flags should be lowered from the day of death to the day of the funeral, subject to special commands from Her Majesty in each case,

The funerals of foreign rulers, subject to special commands from Her Majesty in each case,

The funerals of Prime Ministers and ex-Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, subject to special commands from Her Majesty in each case,

What happens when flag flying days coincide with days for flying flags at half-mast?

Flags should be flown right up:

Although a member of the Royal Family, or a near relative of the Royal Family, may be lying dead, unless special commands are received from Her Majesty to the contrary, and although it may be the day of the funeral of a foreign ruler.

This page was last updated on: Mar 7, 2021 @ 5:12 pm