Following the tragic events in Paris on Wednesday 7 January 2015, when the editorial offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were attacked and twelve people killed, the French government have announced a national day of mourning for the victims on Thursday 8 January. This will be France’s only sixth national day of mourning in the past 50 years.
In the UK you are free to fly the national flag at half-mast whenever you feel it is appropriate. You can also fly the French national flag at half-mast, but if you do so next to a UK national flag, then that flag must also be at half-mast, or be removed. Any other national flags should be removed. If it is not physically possible to fly the flag at half-mast, for example it is on an angled pole projecting from the building, then you can add a black cravat or ribbon to the top, nearest the flag pole.
Full guidance on flying flags at half-mast can be found in our booklet “Flying Flags in the United Kingdom”, which can be downloaded free-of-charge from this website.
Graham Bartram
Chief Vexillologist
