FURIOUS viewers slammed the BBC for showing the WRONG flag during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert on Saturday.
The damning response from seething spectators forced the broadcaster to apologise for its huge error on the massive screen outside Buckingham Palace.
The BBC aired a video montage during the celebrations that showed the completely incorrect flag to represent Northern Ireland.
On screen, a woman waves the green, white and orange tricolour flag – which represents the Republic of Ireland, NOT Northern Ireland.
Watchers found the offensive error especially outrageous, because the Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK or under the British royal family any more.
The country became independent in 1922, but the separate Northern Ireland remained part of the UK.
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The only official flag in Northern Ireland is the Union Jack – shared by the four countries of the United Kingdom.
Fuming viewers labelled the BBC’s mistake a “disgrace” and “an absolute horrendous insult” which forced the corporation to apologise.
Doc Brown voiced over the awkward moment, saying he was “proud to be British” and speaking of “the red dragon, shamrock and thistle” in reference to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The enormous video displayed an England and Wales football badge, followed by a Scottish flag and last of all the big blunder – the tricolour flag.
Scathing viewers took to social media to spark outcry about the BBC’s inaccuracy.
One said: “Would they get the English flag wrong? Of course not. The BBC doesn’t stand for NI, Scotland or Wales. A disgrace.”
Another added: “How can the BBC not know the flag of Northern Ireland. Sums up the organisation.”
A third commented: “A pretty huge mistake for the BBC to fob off as a minor incident… given the history between our 2 nations it’s an absolute horrendous insult to Ireland.”
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Likewise, another said: “NI is such an after thought they couldn’t be a**** to find out what flag to use. That’s embarrassing.”
The Union Jack is the national flag of the United Kingdom and the only official flag for Northern Ireland.
But Northern Ireland also has a few other designs sometimes used to represent itself.
First is the red cross of the Ulster Banner, which was used by the Northern Ireland government from 1953 until 1973.
Alternatively, there is the Saint Patrick’s Saltire – a diagonal red cross that represents Northern Ireland in the Union Jack.
The Union Jack combines the flags of all its nations – except Wales’ dragon.
The patriotic red, white and blue, splashed all over the country this Jubilee weekend have a history behind them.
The flag combines the red cross of St George, the patron saint of England, with the diagonal white cross and blue background of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.
On top of this, the diagonal red cross represents St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland’s tricolour flag of green, white and orange does not feature as it is not part of the United Kingdom.
A spokesperson from the BBC apologised, telling the <a href="http://<!– wp:paragraph {"fontSize":null} –> <p>A spokesperson from the BBC apologised, telling the k: "The incorrect flag appeared in a brief montage during Doc Brown’s appearance last night.</p> Metro: “The incorrect flag appeared in a brief montage during Doc Brown’s appearance last night.
“We apologise for the error and the sequence will be edited on iPlayer.”
