Protocol FAQs

Few protocol questions have simple answers. Not only do the accepted rules of protocol need to be addressed, but specific circumstances may also come into play, such as previous meetings between two dignitaries, or the current state of relations between nations, or even unusual physical obstacles present in a meeting place.

These FAQs give you some idea of the complexities that can arise from seemingly simple questions of protocol.

Does it matter what order I put the flags in when honoring a guest from another country? Can we display our state and corporate flags with the national flags?

Flags, like people, have rank. Country flags hold a higher rank than state flags. Therefore when positioning flags, you would start from the left to the right with country flags followed by state flags, then city, corporate/organization, etc.

The host country holds the place of honor which is typically described as being to its own right. This means that in the U.S. all flags follow the U.S. flag from left to right facing the audience. When several country flags follow the U.S. flag, they are displayed together on separate poles in alphabetical order by their short English name.

For example in the U.S. the proper arrangement of the following flags: Mexico, the People's Republic of China, U.S., Houston and Texas would be: U.S, China, Mexico, Texas and Houston. Note that the Chinese flag is placed before Mexico under its short English name and not after as would apply under its long English name, the People's Republic of China.

If the event takes place in a foreign embassy or consulate that location is considered foreign territory. The place of honor would be given to the host flag and the U.S. flag would be to its left.

How would I introduce my CEO, John Rodriguez to Ambassador Mary Smith?

There are several things to consider when introducing ambassadors such as where you are? If in the U.S. does the ambassador represent the United States to another nation or is the ambassador from another country but accredited to the U.S.; is the ambassador at post or away from post; is it a person-to-person introduction or a platform introduction at an event; is it an official event or an informal social occasion…

If Mary Smith is a U.S. ambassador, while she is away from her post and in the U.S., she would be addressed as Madame/Mrs. /Miss or Ms. Ambassador, according to her preference. She would be introduced as "The Honorable Mary Smith, American Ambassador to (country)" or, in the Western Hemisphere where we are all part of the Americas, as "The Honorable Mary Smith, the U.S. ambassador to (country) or the Ambassador of the United States to (country)."

A foreign ambassador in the U.S. and accredited to the U.S. would be addressed as "Her Excellency Mary Smith, Ambassador of (country)."

As a general rule of introductions you introduce the lower ranked individual to the higher ranked or more senior person. Depending on the country and situation, rank may be determined by official title, age, gender, other factors or a combination of several factors. For instance, the client/buyer outranks the seller, the international visitor outranks the local host, etc.

Another guideline is that when introducing people it is helpful to include a line or two about them so as to facilitate further communication.

For the sake of this example, Mary Smith will be Ireland's Ambassador to the U.S. Your introduction could be: "Your Excellency, may I present our CEO, Mr. John Rodriguez. He just returned from a trip to your country where he visited our manufacturing plant in Dublin."