The sad news of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II was marked by an unusual and beautiful event over Buckingham Palace on Thursday — a double rainbow. Not to be outdone, a rainbow appeared at Windsor Castle as well.
Upon learning the news that her health was in jeopardy, well-wishers in London flocked to Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to the monarch, despite a heavy downpour. When the rain let up, the rainbow appeared in the sky at Buckingham Palace. Many in the crowd turned around to take pictures in front of the colorful feature.
The rainbow could apparently be seen throughout landmarks across the capital in England, according to the Evening Standard, including the Queen Victoria Memorial, and Elizabeth Tower in Westminster.
The crowd started forming at both palaces around 5 p.m. local time, and quickly grew to more than a thousand people at Buckingham Palace.
Many considered the rainbow an homage to a woman who served her country as its Queen for more than 70 years. About an hour after the Buckingham Palace rainbow appeared, another emerged at Windsor Castle rainbow shortly after the Queen’s death. The Royal Family announced the Queen’s passing in a simple statement reaading “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”
Her son and the new monarch, King Charles III, also released a statement. “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”
Take a look at the Buckingham Palace rainbow below.
The Queen is survived by her four children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. Just days before she died, she accepted the resignation of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and appointed a new one: Prime Minister Liz Truss.