US military in huge Union flag 'gaffe' in front of King Charles and Camilla

An awkward blunder has overshadowed a key moment of King Charles III's visit to the US. King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a wreath-laying tribute at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia when the error was spotted - with a Union flag displayed upside down during a solemn military ceremony. The event marked the end of the King's US state visit and saw him lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - a monument built in 1921 which honours unidentified American soldiers lost in war. But social media users were quick to notice an error as American soldiers marched in behind the King with the Union flag hanging upside down. Sky News US correspondent Mark Stone, posting on X, said: "Rather a diplomatic gaff[e] by the Americans here. The Union flag is upside down at the Arlington Cemetery event." The Union flag's slightly uneven look is down to a historic design trick known as "counterchanging". The flag was created by combining the St Andrew's Cross and St Patrick's Cross, carefully arranged so neither nation appeared more dominant than the other. To achieve that, the diagonal stripes were deliberately offset. The red saltire of Saint Patrick doesn't sit evenly on top of the white of the Scottish saltire - instead, the colours alternate, creating the flag's distinctive, slightly lopsided pattern. When flown correctly, the border white stripe must sit above the red in the top corner nearest the flagpole. Donald Trump said farewell to Charles and Camilla today as they concluded the final day of their state visit to the US. The US president said Charles was "the greatest king in my book" as he stood outside the White House and posed for photos. He also called the couple "great people" saying: "We want people like that in our country. They were really great." On Tuesday, Charles received a standing ovation after delivering a 28-minute long speech to Congress, with many observers spotting a subtle dig to Trump. The King's address focussed on sustained international cooperation as he called for "unyielding resolve" in backing Ukraine and underlining the significance of the NATO alliance. His address also celebrated the UK-US special relationship and was met with a standing ovation, with many hailing it as the ideal demonstration of "soft power" diplomacy. Following his state visit, the King will travel to Bermuda to undertake his first royal visit as monarch to a British overseas territory, before heading back to the UK.