Rainbow appears outside Buckingham Palace as people mourn Queen's death
With Queen Elizabeth II's demise on Thursday, her eldest son - Charles - immediately succeeded her to the British throne as the new monarch of the country. He will be known as King Charles III.
Hundreds of people assembled outside Buckingham Palace soon after the announcement of Queen Elizabeth II's demise was made. Defying the torrential rain, these people began gathering outside the palace gates when it was announced that doctors had placed her under medical supervision. A rainbow had appeared right before the announcement happened, and another came up soon after the Queen's passing when the flag was lowered at her Windsor Castle residence outside London, AFP reported.
Videos and visuals shared by foreign agencies show people in tears and singing a forlorn “God Save the Queen” as the news of her death spread.
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The news, in fact, spread rapidly, including a train from London to Edinburg, Scotland, AFP reported.
The entire country began paying homage to their late monarch. The AFP report added that drivers of London's famous black taxis lined the Mall - the street leading to the Palace, in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Meanwhile, the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus's glowed with a picture of Britain's longest-serving late monarch.
Sporting events also jumped in with supporters of West Ham football club in English Premier League spontaneously breaking out into a rendition of “God Save the Queen” before their European League match commenced. Manchester United Fans, on the other hand, observed one minute's silence ahead of their fixture.
The demise of Queen Elizabeth II triggered condolences from across the world. Global leaders in the likes of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, EU chief Ursula Von Der Leyen, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others, paid tribute to the late monarch.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II immediately made her eldest son - Charles - the new king of Britain. Royal officials confirmed that he will be known as King Charles III.
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In a statement released by new king, he called the demise of his “beloved mother” a “moment of greatest sadness” for him as well as all members of the Royal family.
(With inputs from Reuters, The Associated Press)