Controversy arose regarding the lack of a flag at half-mast over Buckingham Palace following the death of Diana , Princess of Wales , in 1997 . The Queen was then in summer residence at Balmoral ; and according to established custom , no flag was displayed over Buckingham Palace , as the monarch was not present . The Queen proposed a compromise whereby the Union Flag would be flown at half-mast on the day of Diana 's funeral . Since then , the Union Flag has flown regularly in the Queen 's absence and has been lowered to half-mast to mark several occasions such as the death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , the September 11 attacks and the 7 July 2005 London bombings . In England , Wales , Northern Ireland , and outside the United Kingdom , the flag is divided into four quadrants . The first and fourth quadrants represent the ancient Kingdom of England and contain three gold lions , ( or " leopards " ) , passant guardant on a red field ; the second quadrant represents the ancient Kingdom of Scotland and contains a red lion rampant on a gold field ; the third quadrant represents the ancient Kingdom of Ireland and contains a version of the gold harp from the coat of arms of Ireland on a blue field . The inclusion of the harp remains an issue for some in Ireland . In 1937 Éamon de Valera , then Taoiseach asked Dominions Secretary Malcolm MacDonald if the harp quarter could be removed from the Royal Standard on the grounds that the Irish people had not given their consent to the Irish emblem being included . The request was denied and the harp remains
7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
Royal Standard of the United Kingdom