Knaresborough firm 'honoured' to have made Queen's coffin flag

Pallbearers carrying the Queen's coffin draped in the Royal Standard used in Scotland

A Yorkshire flag-maker says it is "honoured" to have made the standard draping the Queen's coffin.

Her Majesty's oak coffin, covered by The Royal Standard for use in Scotland, was taken to Edinburgh following a six-hour journey from Balmoral on Sunday.

Andy Ormrod, owner of Knaresborough-based Flying Colours Flagmakers, confirmed the Royal Household ordered the 12ft (3.6m) by 6ft (1.8m), hand-sewn standard last year.

He said: "We are extremely honoured."

Mr Ormrod, whose company was granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty in 2007, has manufactured flags for the Royal Household since 2000.

Flying Colours has been making flags for more than 20 years

Mr Ormrod said of the process: "An artist will have designed it. Another person will have sewn it, while a third person put it all together."

The company, which has been making flags since 1994, manufactures both designs of Royal Standard, with one being used in Scotland by members of the Royal family.

Mr Ormrod said his company furnishes the Royal Household with a range of flags - from the smallest flown from masts fixed to Royal cars to a huge, 38ft (11.6m) by 19ft (5.7m) union flag that adorns Windsor Castle.

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It also sells other flags to councils and military associations and souvenir Royal Standards to private individuals across the UK.

"Our hand-sewn union flag, made from 31 pieces of material, is the Rolls-Royce of flags," said Mr Ormrod.

He described the death of Her Majesty as "devastating" for the nation.

"Everything is horrendously strange at the moment, from Brexit to Covid, and a change of prime minister and monarch," he said.

"Her Majesty had a fantastic life. It's just a shame she did not live to see three figures."