Fact Check

Was There a Double Rainbow Around Buckingham Palace After the Queen's Death?

Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on Sept. 8, 2022.

Published Sept. 8, 2022

People gather outside Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II has been placed under medical supervision because doctors are "concerned for Her Majesty's health." Members of the royal family traveled to Scotland to be with the 96-year-old monarch. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Image Via AP Photo/Frank Augstein
Claim:
A double rainbow was spotted above Buckingham Palace on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

Fact Check

As concern over Queen Elizabeth’s health spread on Sept. 8, 2022, Londoners noticed a double rainbow visible above Buckingham Palace. Before and after news of her death broke, many tweeted about the rainbow:

Getty’s Royal photographer Chris Jackson pointed out that the rainbow only appeared for a few minutes as the flag above Windsor Castle was being lowered to half mast.

Getty photographs from that same day show that a double rainbow was indeed visible in the sky facing Buckingham Palace on the day of the Queen’s death.

People gather outside Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II has been placed under medical supervision because doctors are

People gather outside Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II has been placed under medical supervision because doctors are "concerned for Her Majesty's health." Members of the royal family traveled to Scotland to be with the 96-year-old monarch. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

The New York Times also described the scene:

Sources

“A Rainbow Is Seen Outside of Buckingham Palace on September 8, 2022…” Getty Images, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/rainbow-is-seen-outside-of-buckingham-palace-on-september-8-news-photo/1243045271. Accessed 8 Sept. 2022.

Landler, Mark. “Updates: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s Bastion of Stability, Dies.” The New York Times, 8 Sept. 2022. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/09/08/world/queen-elizabeth. Accessed 8 Sept. 2022.

“Snopes Collection: Queen Elizabeth II in Life and Rumor.” Snopes.Com, https://www.snopes.com/collections/queen-elizabeth-ii-life-and-rumor/. Accessed 8 Sept. 2022.

Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing.

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