No, you cannot generally fly the Royal Standard flag. It is the personal flag of the Sovereign (the King) and signifies their actual presence at a location. It is only flown on royal residences, official cars, or, with permission, on buildings during a visit by the King. It is never flown at half-mast.
It may also be flown on any building, official or private (but not ecclesiastical buildings), during a visit by The King, if the owner or proprietor so requests. The Royal Standard also used to be flown on board the Royal Yacht, when it was in service and Queen Elizabeth II was on board.
So, in short: Illegal: Terrorist flags, obscene/hate flags, unauthorised commercial flags. Restricted: Foreign national flags, military/government flags if misused. Permitted: UK national, local, county, and international organisation flags.
Is it legal to fly a flag from a lamppost in the UK?
Whilst there is nothing to say that you can't fly a flag from a lamppost as opposed to a flagpole, you would need the express permission of the owner of the structure and the permission of the landowner if different. But remember flags flown from locations without buildings will require planning permission.
When the Union Flag or St George flag is one of two flags flown on the same flagpole, then it must be flown in the superior position. It is also OK to display the England flag from the of your house. The flag can be of any size, however if it is projecting from the building it may not exceed 2 square metres in size.
The UK Government has eased restrictions on flying flags, including the Union Jack and the national flags of England, Wales, Ireland and indeed any other country. A lesser-known regulation could result in Brits facing a fine of up to £2,500 if found with this particular item on their property.
The stated aim of the campaign was to promote national pride and patriotism. The campaign has involved activists tying up flags on to lampposts and street furniture, as well being painted on to mini-roundabouts and zebra crossings.
Only one flag should be flown on a flagpole. No permission is necessary to fly National flags (this applies to any country), and they are excluded from planning and advertising regulations. The display of corporate flags however are governed by planning and advertising regualtions and these vary on a regional basis.
"The flag of the Black Country, East Anglia, Wessex, any Part of Lincolnshire, any Riding of Yorkshire or any historic county within the United Kingdom". "The flag of any administrative area within any country outside the United Kingdom". "Any flag of His Majesty's forces. "The Armed Forces Day flag."
Both white and ethnic minority adults tend to think that people displaying England flags at their home are doing so mostly as a way of expressing anti-migrant/minority views.
Can I legally stop my Neighbours flying St George's flags?
Ultimately, you cannot control whether your neighbour chooses to fly a flag outside their home, but you can take steps to minimise the impact it could have on potential buyers.
The Royal Standard (Lion Rampant) is the personal banner of the Monarch, technically no one else is allowed to fly it except a few people (Great Officers of State) who represent them. The National Flag (Saltire) is exactly what it says on the tin.
There is no list of flags enshrined in law which are explicitly banned in law in the UK, not even the Nazi Swastika. However, this is not to say that flying a certain flag cannot lead to a criminal offence. The context of how a flag is used determines whether an offence is committed.
England doesn't have two flags; it has its own flag (St. George's Cross), but because it's part of the United Kingdom (UK), it also uses the Union Flag (Union Jack), which combines England's flag with Scotland's and Northern Ireland's (Ireland's). The confusion arises because England's flag is a core component of the UK's flag, leading to people seeing both as "England's flags".
The Dannebrog, Denmark's national flag, is widely recognized as the oldest continuously used national flag, with its origins traced to a legend from 1219 and confirmed usage by the 14th century, inspiring other Nordic cross flags. While Japan's Hinomaru (sun disc) is older in design (potentially 701 AD), it wasn't officially or continuously used until much later (1870), and Georgia's flag (1008 AD) also saw interruptions, making Denmark's the most consistently used.
Lowering the flag at sunset is widely considered to be a sign of respect. However, if you'd prefer to fly your American flag throughout the night, it's acceptable to do so. The Flag Code states that the national banner may be flown at night, provided it's properly illuminated.
While it's actually an offence to attach anything to a street light without permission, highways teams will only step in if flags attached to lamp posts, or other street furniture, pose a serious safety risk, but people are being asked not to paint or graffiti mini-roundabouts and crossings, which is illegal.
Have you ever heard that it is illegal to fly the Lion Rampant? This presumably came from the fact the Lyon King of Arms Act 1672 established a register of all arms and bearings in Scotland, and later on King Charles II entered the Lion Rampant as his exclusive property.
While the council may have powers to remove unauthorised items from street furniture, a private individual does not. If someone removes a flag for themselves, they are taking property that still “belongs to another” under the Theft Act 1968, which makes it theft.
