Union flag half-mast at Buckingham Palace- Know the truth

An old image is being shared to claim that it shows Union flag at the Buckingham Palace hoisted at half-mast.

An image of the Union flag at Buckingham Palace at half-mast has gone viral on social media. Users who shared the image claimed it was recently taken, and some speculated that it may signify that either King Charles III or Princess Kate Middleton have passed away.

Raising the national flag at half-mast forms one of the universally known traditions to symbolize mourning, respect, and tribute, intrinsically woven with history, traditions, and customs, with established protocols.  Over time, it evolved into a universal symbol of mourning and respect.

People who shared the image claimed it was taken recently, and some have speculated that it might indicate the passing of either King Charles III or Princess Kate Middleton.

The caption of the post states, “Buckingham Palace right now – the flag is at half mast… IS KATE DEAD OR CHARLES??? #RoyalAnnouncement #RoyalFamily #KateMiddleton

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Fact Check- 

We conducted a reverse image search on Google and the results led us to a Twitter post along with the same image. It was uploaded by Rory Challands (The account bio states he is a news correspondent for Al Jazeera English and ITV News) on 8 September 2022, shortly after the announcement of the Queen’s death. The caption of the post states, “Flag at Buckingham Palace just lowered to half staff”

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Queen Elizabeth, who was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, had passed away on 8 September 2022.Several news reports published at that time indicate that the flag was hoisted at half-mast after the Queen’s death. The custom of lowering the Union flag to fly at two-thirds of the length of a pole or ship’s mast has been undertaken since the 17th century as a respectful expression of the national mood at a time of bereavement, much as a mourner bows their head in solemn remembrance.

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The royal family has been the subject of much speculation over the last two weeks, spurred by King Charles III’s health and Kate Middleton’s public absence, with the flying of the British flag adding to the rumors.In January of this year, Kensington Palace, home of the prince and princess of Wales, announced that Kate, the Princess of Wales, underwent abdominal surgery and would not be making public appearances until after Easter. In February, King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer and began seeking treatment, a statement from Buckingham Palace said. Following these rumours, the official handle of British Embassy in Kyiv dismissed the claims of the King’s death.

No such announcement had been issued by the royal family and there were no official reports about the Union flag lowered at Buckingham Palace on 18 March. So it is clear that an old image is being shared to claim that it shows flag at the Buckingham Palace hoisted at half-mast.

Conclusion- 

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the image to be False. Image of the flag at half-mast is understood to have been captured in September 2022.