Flag Protocol

When lowering a flag to half-mast, it must first be hoisted to the top of the flagpole, paused briefly, and then lowered to the half-mast position. The recommended position is approximately one-third of the way down from the top of the pole, as this is the most widely recognised placement. Some flagpoles are marked to indicate the correct half-mast position.

If the Union Flag is flown at half-mast, all other flags must also be lowered accordingly, and any event-specific flags should be removed. The only exception is the Royal Standard, which must never be flown at half-mast, as it symbolises the continuity of the Monarchy.

In the event of the death of a Royal Family Member – Operation Bridge will be enacted; in the event of the death of a senior Public or Buckinghamshire figure, or in the case of a major National or Local incident – Operation Oak will be enacted. The Policy Team will then confirm the appropriate flag arrangement in line with the relevant protocol.

The process of lowering flags to half-mast must not occur until Buckinghamshire Council has been formally notified of a death or incident. Facilities teams will be notified by the Policy team of a co-ordinated approach for all Buckinghamshire Council sites.

The table below outlines the standard flag-lowering actions following the death of senior members of the Royal Family or significant political figures in line with the Operation Bridge and Oak protocols:

Any additional requests to lower flags to half-mast must be considered and signed off by a member of the council’s Corporate Management Team and for the Leader to be informed.