A Rainbow Appeared in the Skies Above London Ahead of the Queen’s Funeral

It was over the Palace of Westminster, where the Queen lay in state.

Queen Elizabeth
(Image credit: Getty)
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We’re sensing a theme here—after a double rainbow appeared in the skies over Buckingham Palace shortly before the Queen’s death was announced on September 8, another rainbow has appeared, this time over the Palace of Westminster ahead of Her Majesty’s funeral today.

The Queen’s coffin had laid in state at Westminster Hall since earlier this week and will proceed shortly to nearby Westminster Abbey during the funeral proceedings. Yesterday, a rainbow broke through the clouds over Westminster Palace in London, where Her Majesty’s coffin was.

A local government official, Joe Porter, tweeted a photo of the sight, writing: “The most incredible rainbow over the Palace of Westminster on the eve of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.”

The stunning rainbow was photographed over the Elizabeth Tower, PEOPLE reports, formerly known as the Clock Tower but renamed to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Over 2,000 attendees from around the globe are expected at the Queen’s funeral this morning.

And for what it’s worth—we still don’t think the rainbows are a coincidence.

Rachel Burchfield
Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.