by Liam Mulvin – 13 September 2022

Like all of us last Thursday, I awoke in the morning with no inclination of the devastating news we would all hear before the day was out. Even the lunchtime news with its warning of concern over her health didn’t worry me too much. It wasn’t until the evening, when confirmation that she had passed away at the age of 96 was made, that I realised… an era has well and truly ended.

Born a year after the Queen’s coronation, I have spent my entire life in the Second Elizabethan Age. Seventy years of one monarch with all the stability that brings; it left me simply wondering… “What happens now?”

It was only after the initial shock had begun to subside that you begin to realise; yes, there will be changes; yes, there will be some new things to learn; and yes, it will now be a bit different. You also learn that life will go on exactly as it did before, and all this has been done before.

My nan was born in the Victorian era and died in the new Elizabethan era. She lived her life under six monarchs. That was the difference between us both. She knew how to behave and what to do when a monarch passes; I had no idea at all.

Thankfully there are those people who know exactly what needs to be done. We might not have applied these protocols for seventy years; but those protocols remain. Suddenly, words not often used by several generations of us are now being used continuously. Protocol is such a word. So too are other words that some consider outdated. Honour, duty, responsibility, etiquette, etc.

Liege lord was another one…as was the word, King.

How many of us paused for a moment the following day when the news reported that the King would address the nation?

My first thoughts flashed through my mind… “Who? What King? Is this a history documentary from the Second World War?”

Then realisation dawned… “No, you fool, its King Charles now. It’s the Carolean age now.”

For us at Coastwatch the first rule to learn was how to raise and lower the flag to half-mast. Yes, there is a protocol with this as well.

The phrase ‘half-mast’ – or sometimes ‘half-staff’ refers to when a flag is flown below the top position on a flagpole or ships mast. In most countries, flying a flag below the top of the structure is a mark of respect for a person or persons who have died.

Organisations and communities use the lowering of a flag as a symbol of mourning, distress, or a salute to the fallen. Dating back to the 17th Century, some sources believe this practice was to make room for an ‘invisible flag of death’.

Discover six points of protocol you may not be aware of when lowering your flags to half-mast.

Step 1
When hoisting a flag that is to be flown at half-mast, it should first be raised all the way to the top of the pole, and then lowered. This tradition stems from military protocol so that those observing the flag will see it being intentionally lowered (rather than failing to be fully raised)

Step 2
Likewise, when the flag is to be lowered or taken down from the pole or mast, it should first be hoisted to the top of the flagpole, it should then pause for a moment, and finally be lowered, to half-mast or removed completely.

Step 3
There is some disagreement about what is meant by ‘half-mast’. Most people take the phrase literally and position the flag around halfway down the structure. However, others recommend that a flag should only be lowered by one breadth – or width – of the flag (the length of the longest edge). Most British institutions recommend that the flag should be lowered to approximately a third from the top of the flagpole, This is visually easier to judge than the other two methods and leaves the viewer in no doubt that the flag has been deliberately set at that height.

Step 4
Flags should not be flown half-masted on a wall-mounted pole that is more than 45 degrees from vertical. A suitable alternative is the addition of a Mourning Cravat, which is a black ribbon added to the top of a flag.

Step 5
An important piece of half-masting protocol is that the Royal Standard should never be lowered as it represents the Monarchy. As the Monarchy is continuous, and one sovereign is immediately replaced by the next so there is no mourning for the role of the Monarch. But other flags such as the union flag will be half masted to show respect to the deceased.

Step 6
Traditionally in the United Kingdom, the half-masting of flags is at the command of the Sovereign. However, many organisations and institutions may choose to mourn using a half-masted flag on a local or community level, it is unlikely that the mark of respect would be objected to. Indeed, it is generally encouraged, and often noted by the media.

Who knew, I certainly didn’t and am very grateful to Peter Evans, our Station Manager, for supplying the rest of us keepers with the information. It did make me think though. Even something as simple as putting a flag at half mast has a correct way of doing it.

And then it was all change when Charles was proclaimed King, as for 24 hours, the flag had to be raised to the top of the mast. Its back at half-mast now.

Only a small thing but I bet people 70 years ago knew all about it.

Like the rest of my colleagues, I am proud to serve under the Union Flag and it flies proudly over the Lookout. It is a visual reminder that we are on official business. The Queen was not our Patron, but her daughter Princess Anne is.

I checked in the lookout on Sunday last and I can’t see anything that may need to be changed so it looks like we will seamlessly change from Queen Elizabeth to King Charles without too much upheaval. It would appear, that the flag was the main thing to learn about for us.

Now it’s just a question of remembering things like HMRC stands for ‘His’ now and not ‘Her’; that it’s “God save the King”, and not “God save the Queen. These will be learning curves we must all get used to in time.

As for me and my colleagues, we’ve got the flag routine sorted, and so our little corner of British Coastwatch has shown honour, duty, responsibility, and etiquette to the new King with our protocols.

Only a small thing to some, but a hugely important thing to others. I’m pleased we have done our best to be correct. It certainly makes me feel part of something momentous, even though we still grieve.

It just remains to say… “God Save The King”