Palace accused of subterfuge for flying the Royal Standard when Queen was in hospital

Buckingham Palace, the office and official residence of Queen Elizabeth II, has been accused of subterfuge for deceiving the public by ignoring a very important royal rule.

The palace apparently went to all lengths to ensure that the public wouldn't get a whiff about the Queen's recent hospitalisation. It announced on Wednesday morning that the monarch had cancelled a visit to Northern Ireland after being advised by her doctors to rest.

They maintained the same stand the next day, briefing royal correspondents that the 95-year-old is continuing to rest at Windsor Castle. They confirmed her hospitalisation for "preliminary tests" only after a report in The Sun claimed that she spent Wednesday night in the hospital after being admitted there in the afternoon. She was discharged on Thursday.

To further ensure that her hospitalisation remains out of the news, the royal household continued to fly a miniature version of the Royal Standard at Windsor Castle, reports Royal Central. The Royal Standard, reserved for the monarch, is flown when she is in residence in one of the royal palaces and on her car, ship, or aeroplane.

BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said, "At Windsor Castle, a very small royal standard was seen to be flying. Its presence supported the Palace's claim that The Queen was resting at the castle."

The secretive manner in which the palace dealt with Queen's hospitalisation has led to speculations on social media about her health. Witchell noted that journalists and the public "weren't given the complete picture," which caused the "problem" as "rumour and misinformation always thrive in the absence of proper, accurate and trustworthy information."

"We are told that she's back at Windsor Castle, undertaking light duties. Well, we must hope that we can place reliance on what the palace is telling us," she added.

Peter Hunt, a royal commentator and former BBC journalist also said, "The media's faith in the veracity of royal communications will have been sorely tested by the failed attempt to hide the fact the Queen spent a night in hospital. Buckingham Palace can ill afford a breakdown in trust, given all they're dealing with."

However, royal insiders are fighting the accusations of subterfuge, insisting that the royal standard does not move to every building the Queen visits.