Spotted At Scrabster Harbour Today - A Ship Flying The Union Jack Flag Upside Down

23rd July 2020

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German registered chemical Tanker "Antares" alongside at Scrabster Harbour today. The vessel is in theory committing "Lèse-Majeste" (to do wrong to majesty) by flying the Union Flag upside down. An easy mistake to make if you do not know your flags.

In 1950 there was an attempt to have the regulations changed so that British merchant ships would be allowed to fly the Union Jack as a jack. One point made in favour of the change was that some foreign merchant ships flew the Union Jack as a courtesy flag, without any action being taken against them, whilst a British merchant ship that flew a Union Jack at the yard would be made to remove it. In considering the matter a survey was made of the foreign ships in the Port of London. Fifty percent flew no courtesy flag, forty percent flew the Red Ensign, and ten percent flew the Union Jack. David Prothero, 17 October 2000

https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/xf-cour.html