IT WAS as if heaven was welcoming her, opening its gates in the most spectacular fashion. Moments after news of her death broke, a double rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace, arcs of soft light shining above the sprawl of buildings she’d spent so much time in.
The palace was where Queen Elizabeth II met prime ministers, princes and presidents, celebrities and scientists, artists and artisans. Where she hosted countless state banquets, signed thousands of papers and went through her famous red boxes, her beloved corgis at her feet.
It’s also home to the famous balcony where, just three months earlier, we’d seen her smiling and waving to throngs of cheering crowds as she celebrated her platinum jubilee. Now she will never appear on that balcony again. The royal standard will never flutter for her again. Her smile, ever warmer in her later years, will live on in memory and pictures but it will never light up a room again.
One of the most remarkable women the world has ever seen is gone, and the loss has been felt around the globe.
Earlier this year, journalist and biographer Tina Brown predicted the queen’s death would be “a seismic event”. “There will be a level of mourning like we’ve never seen,” she said. “The country will have the most enormous national nervous breakdown. The deluge of grief will be extraordinary.”
Denne historien er fra 22 September 2022-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 22 September 2022-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life