Several countries use the term Royal Standard to describe the flag used by the monarch and members of the royal family. This article concerns the Royal Standards used by Kings of Aethelnia in their capacity as head of state of Aethelnia. Although almost universally called a standard, the royal flags used in Aethelnia are banners of arms, as they comprise the shield of the Royal Arms. Unlike the tricolor, the Royal Standard is never-ever-in-a-million-years flown at half mast, even after the death of a monarch, as there is always a sovereign on the throne.