The District of Columbia mistakenly displayed Australian flags instead of British flags near the White House in preparation for King Charles’s upcoming visit to the United States. The error, promptly rectified, was confirmed by a D.C. Department of Transportation official on Friday.
Though Charles is also the ceremonial head of state for Australia, the incident involved fifteen Australian flags being temporarily part of the more than 230 flags arranged to welcome the British king upon his arrival in the U.S. capital on Monday. These flags were subsequently replaced with the correct British flags.
King Charles’s imminent state visit, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence from British rule, is viewed as his most prominent diplomatic engagement to date. The visit aims to strengthen the “special relationship” between the two allies, which has faced significant strains in recent times, especially concerning issues related to the Iran conflict.