A double rainbow was seen above Buckingham Palace as hundreds of well-wishers gathered awaiting news on the Queen’s health.
The rare phenomenon appeared in the sky as the clouds cleared after downpours across the capital on Thursday afternoon.
Crowds of people began to arrive after the palace announced the beloved royal was under medical supervision, and continued to grow after he death was confirmed at 6.30pm
Speaking before she passed away, Britons and tourists alike shared their concerns for Britain’s longest serving monarch.
A couple visiting London on their honeymoon said they found out the Queen had been taken ill during their tour of the palace.
“It’s quite sad,” newlyweds Neil Patel and Kelly Powers told The Independent. “We were inside the palace on the tour when we get the notification on our phone - it’s quite an eerie feeling.”
The Rosenthals, visiting London from New Orleans, said Buckingham Palace staff looked scared and worried as they told tour participants that the Queen was under medical supervision.
“When we heard the news it fell on us like a ton of bricks,” the family said. “Not only is the weather grey but the mood is solemn. Even the workers inside told us on the way out of the tour - they seemed sad and worried.
“We love the queen. We have become Anglophiles very quickly. We’ve been coming here for over 10 years. We didn’t come for the Jubilee but we’re here now.
“It’s shocking she’s been around for so long she looks so healthy she just welcomed a prime minister.
“In our lifetimes we’ve never seen a king - we don’t know anything else.”
A crowd of hundreds of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace beneath dark clouds as news spread the Queen was under medical supervision at Balmoral.
More than 100 umbrella-clad observers initially congregated on the stone steps up to The Queen Victoria Memorial, opposite the royal residence, with dozens more are standing beside the gates.
More people would arrive as the evening stretched on.
Andrea Sbalcheiero, visiting London from Milan with his son Luca, only heard the news of her ill health minutes before arriving at the palace.
“It’s very sad because we’re here in this moment,” he said. “We came to the palace so to hear this is very sad. I love Britain, I love the royal family - I come here six or seven times a year.
“It’s hard to say all the feelings because we just heard about it a few minutes ago but you can tell the atmosphere here is very quiet. It feels very respectful.”
