US Politics
Down Under blunder: DC mistakenly displays Australian flags instead of British ones ahead of King Charles visit
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Australian flags were mistakenly hoisted in Washington, D.C., ahead of King Charles’ upcoming visit — in what could be described as a Down Under blunder.
On Friday, hundreds of national banners were installed across the capital to welcome the U.K. monarch, including British and American emblems. Somehow, 15 Australian flags were also included.
Photos show clusters of Australian flags lining black lamp posts near the White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The confusion may have stemmed from the design: the Australian flag features the Union Jack in the upper-left corner, but is distinguished by six white stars set against a blue background.
The mistake was quickly mended, and the Australian flags were removed, a D.C. Department of Transportation official told Reuters.
The error sparked widespread chatter online, where many commenters poked fun at the mix-up.
“I blame George bush and no child left behind,” wrote on X user, while another chimed in: “They couldn’t bother to take 15 seconds and google ‘UK flag?’”
Others, however, noted that the flag from Down Under would not necessarily be out of place.
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“They should have kept the Australian flags up, Charles is constitutionally our head of state,” one X user wrote.
Charles is also the head of state for Australia, but the role is largely ceremonial.
King Charles is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. on Monday for a four-day state visit to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He and his wife, Queen Camilla, will travel to Washington, D.C., New York and Virginia.