Washington’s preparations for a royal welcome took an unexpected turn after a flag blunder briefly stole the spotlight from the upcoming visit of King Charles.
As crews dressed the US capital in ceremonial colours ahead of the monarch’s arrival, officials were left red-faced when several Australian flags were mistakenly raised near the White House instead of the intended Union Jacks.
The error reportedly involved around 15 flags installed along key areas close to the White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The mix-up happened during large-scale preparations across Washington DC, where streets are being lined with national flags ahead of the four-day state visit marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
While British and American flags were correctly placed along main ceremonial routes, the unintended display of Australian banners on prominent lamp posts quickly caught attention.
Local transport officials confirmed the mistake was corrected soon after it was spotted, with the incorrect flags swiftly taken down once the issue was flagged.
The incident didn’t take long to spark a wave of online commentary, with social media users joking about the confusion and questioning how such a mix-up made it through the planning stage.
Others pointed out the irony, noting that King Charles also holds a separate constitutional role in Australia.
