Major 'gaffe' sees British 'distress signal' flown at King Charles visit

King Charles III endured another diplomatic gaffe during his visit to the United States.

The 77-year-old monarch wrapped up his visit with a trip across Virginia, but sharp-eyed observers noticed American service members were holding an up-side down British flag as the king and his wife, Queen Camilla, visited Arlington National Cemetery, reported the Express.

"Rather a diplomatic [gaffe] by the Americans here," noted Sky News correspondent Mark Stone. "The Union flag is upside down at the Arlington Cemetery event."

Officials in Washington, D.C., had already included 15 Australian flags by mistake alongside British and American banners ahead of the king's visit, and critics called the latest blunder unacceptable.

"Oh F--! I take it the American flag has that little box of stars in the corner so you know which way to hang it up???" wondered historian Andy Gabriel-Powell. "Even at Arlington, the most solemn of places, you STILL couldn't get ours right. (It's upside down)."

One social media user singled out a Trump administration official who should have been tasked with preventing such errors.

"Isn't it Monica Crowley's job to see to it that these protocols are done correctly?" asked X user Carolyn M. Maxey, referring the U.S. chief of protocol. "This is two failures on her offices part. I wouldn't expect anything less from this administration."

"The British flag is upside down," groaned X user Tim Smith. "This is traditionally a distress signal."