A rainbow broke through the clouds over Westminster Palace in London on Sunday, where the coffin ofQueen Elizabeth IIhas been lying in state ahead of the late monarch’s funeral proceedings.
A local government officialtweeted a photo of the marvelous sky, writing: “The most incredible rainbow over the Palace of Westminster on the eve of Her Late MajestyQueen ElizabethII’s funeral. "
The beautiful rainbow was photographed over the Elizabeth Tower, formerly known as the Clock Tower, but renamed to celebrate the late monarch’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
This is the second time a rainbow has adorned the skies of London as the nation mourns its queen. Another rainbow, this one a double, could be seen over Buckingham Palace on Sept. 8, shortly before thedeathofQueen Elizabeth IIwas announced.
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Buckingham Palacesaidthe Queen “died peacefully” at age 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
On Friday evening,King Charles III,Princess Anne,Prince AndrewandPrince Edwardcame together at their mother’s coffin for an emotionalVigil of the Princesat Westminster Hall. Just after 7:30 p.m. local time, thesiblings joined the King’s Body Guardsto ceremoniously protect the Queen’s coffin as it laid in state, draped in the Royal Standard and topped with theImperial Crown.
The Queen’seight grandchildren followed the same traditionon Saturday, includingPrince WilliamandPrince Harry, in theirmilitary uniforms, and their cousins:Peter Phillips,Zara Tindall,Princess Beatrice,Princess Eugenie,Lady Louise WindsorandJames, Vicount Severn.
Ian West/PA Wire via ZUMA Press
More than 2,000 peoplefrom around the world will gather at Westminster Abbey on Monday to honor the late monarch. Herfamily membersare set to process with the coffin three times: as it moves into Westminster Abbey, then more than a mile to Wellington Arch and finally to Windsor Castle, where the Queen will be laid to rest.
Proceedings commence at 10:35 a.m. local time, when her coffin is moved from Westminster Hall (where it haslaid in statesince Tuesday) and is expected to exit the medieval building at 10:52 a.m.
It will move about 500 feet within the Palace of Westminster complex to Westminster Abbey, where thestate funeralbegins.Presidents, foreign royalsand the Queen’s relatives will attend the service in the ancient church.
Queen Elizabeth’s coffin lies in state.Aaron Chown/AP/Shutterstock
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The guests present at Westminster Abbey will not follow for the ceremony at Windsor. Instead, the pews will be filled with some of the people who knew the Queen best: her personal staff and those who worked on her estates. Her personal piper will also play a lament in her honor.
When the service wraps, the Queen’s family members will retire to Windsor Castle for a quiet reception. The ceremonies end around 7:30 p.m., whenQueen Elizabethis privately interred in St. George’s Chapel.
She will be buried besidePrince Philip, her beloved husband of 73 years, and near her sister,Princess Margaret, and her parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother.
As is required of the monarch, the Queen was consulted on all the funeral arrangements. Proceedings have already gotten underway, as the newKing Charlesand his wife,Queen Camilla, hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for world leaders gathered in London.
Heads of state and official overseas guests attended the event on Sunday evening at Buckingham Palace, which marked the first time Charles and Camilla met many of the world’s most powerful players since becoming King and Queen Consort.
source: people.com
