Majority of Britons critical of flags flown at half-mast for Saudi king

The decision to fly flags at half-mast to mourn the ruler of Saudi Arabia - a kingdom where people are publicly beheaded, liberal bloggers are flogged and women are banned from driving - was roundly criticised by human rights groups.

And as this graph from Statista shows, a majority of Britons were also critical of the decision with 48 per cent saying flags should not have been lowered.

Following the death of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, leaders in the West - including David Cameron and Barack Obama - were quick to offer their condolences to the regime with a series of fawning quotes and flags on official government buildings were flown at half-mast.

Officials said the move was a matter of protocol and had been a formal request from Buckingham Palace.

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