Frederick Wade.

Protocol over national flags meant some buildings had to abandon flying the flags of Bermuda together with the emblems of other countries at half mast.

Government yesterday ordered flags on all its buildings to be lowered to half-mast until Mr. Wade's funeral on Monday.

Other buildings -- whose owners also wanted to show their respects -- decided to lower their flags too.

The Hamilton Princess, which flies the Bermuda flag, the Canadian Maple Leaf and the Stars and Stripes, lowered all three flags.

But a hotel insider said managers were forced to raise them all to full height after checks with Government and the US Consul.

It is understood hotel chiefs asked US Consul General Bob Farmer's office about protocol and were told that the US flag could not be flown in mourning for a non-American without special permission.

And Government's own protocol experts said no foreign flag could fly above Bermuda's, so hotel bosses ordered them all raised to the top of their flagpoles again.

Cabinet Secretary Leo Mills stressed last night that Government's instructions only applied to its own buildings.