Fact check: Flags from Commonwealth states are flown above Westminster Abbey

A widely shared online post claimed that the flag of Pakistan had been flying over Westminster Abbey.

The post read: “The United Kingdom of Pakistan. We are all watching the end of England in real time.” It included a video of the abbey with the Pakistani flag on a pole above one of the towers.

The video was captioned: “Pakistans (sic) flag has been raised on the Westminster Abbey, replacing the British flag on the 1000 year old church. Conquered without firing a single shot.”

Evaluation

The video in the post is an accurate representation of a tradition that dates back many years but is not specific to Pakistan, and is decided by Westminster Abbey staff.

Several Commonwealth flags have been flown over the church building in recent years to tie in with a country’s high commission being represented at the evensong service.

The video in the post appears to be from early 2024.

The facts

The same video has been online since at least March 2024 and likely shows an event that took place that month. Pakistan’s flag was also flown above the abbey in March 2025.

The country’s national day is celebrated on March 23. On its website, the Pakistan high commission in London said: “Each year, the Westminster Abbey invites the high commission to a special evensong on Pakistan Day to pray for the nation, its leaders, and people.”

Press releases on the high commission’s website also shows that a similar event took place in 2023, 2022, and 2021. There are contemporary reports of the same happening in 2019, 2018, and 2017.

Westminster Abbey’s website says: “A national flag is flown on the day when the high commission of a Commonwealth member state is represented at evensong.” Pakistan rejoined the Commonwealth in 1989.

Other countries whose flags have been pictured flying above the abbey include Singapore, Cyprus on more than one occasion, Canada, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka.

Links

Post on X (archived post and video)

Post on TikTok from 2024 (archived)

PAHIC, London on TikTok (archived)

PAHIC, London – 2024 press release (archived)

PAHIC, London – 2023 press release (archived)

PAHIC, London – 2022 press release (archived)

PAHIC, London – 2021 press release (archived)

Report from 2019 (archived)

Report from 2018 (archived)

Report from 2017 (archived)

Westminster Abbey – Flag days (archived)

The Commonwealth – Member countries (archived)

Flag of Singapore flies over Westminster Abbey (archived post and image)

Flag of Cyprus flies over Westminster Abbey in 2025 (archived post and image)

Flag of Cyprus flies over Westminster Abbey in 2022 (archived)

Flag of Canada flies over Westminster Abbey (archived)

Flag of Antigua and Barbuda flies over Westminster Abbey (archived)

Flag of Jamaica flies over Westminster Abbey (archived)

Flag of Sri Lanka flies over Westminster Abbey (archived)