Flag Etiquette - Mourning
by Royal Yacht Squadron 11 Sep 2022 18:35 NZST
As advised by the Royal Yacht Squadron: Ensigns must be flown at half mast when you are onboard your vessel from the announcement of the death of the Sovereign until 08:00 on the day after the funeral of the Sovereign, except from the time the Principal Proclamation of the Accession of His Majesty The King is read at 11:00 on Saturday 10th September until the regional Proclamations have completed at 14:00 on Sunday 11th September, when Ensigns will be flown at full-mast when onboard. If you are onboard the Ensign should, exceptionally, remain hoisted and at half-mast overnight. Burgees should remain hoisted at the mast head and not half-masted.
Half-mast means the Ensign is flown two-thirds of the way up the flagpole, with at least the height of the Ensign between the top of the Ensign and the top of the flagpole. Ensigns cannot be flown at half-mast on poles that are more than 45° from the vertical, but an alternative mark of mourning, used when half-masting is unsuitable, is to add a black cravat or ribbon to the top of the Ensign, at the hoist
When an Ensign is to be flown at half-mast, it should first be raised all the way to the top of the mast, allowed to remain there for a second and then be lowered to the half-mast position. When it is being lowered from half-mast, it should again be raised to the top of the mast for a second before being fully lowered.