Mournful 'God Save the Queen' rings out at Buckingham Palace

Tearful crowds outside Buckingham Palace sang a forlorn God Save the Queen as news broke of Queen Elizabeth IIs death on ThursdayHundreds braved torrential rain to stand at the palace gates after it was announced that doctors had placed the monarch under medical supervision at Balmoral her Scottish estateA vivid rainbow temporarily lifted spirits but the mood turned mournful at 630 pm 1730 GMT as the seismic news was announced triggering widespread cries of oh no according to an AFP journalistSome wept as the Union Jack flag on the queens London residence was lowered before a numbed silence fell over the crowdAlso Read Photos of Queen Elizabeth II with PM Modi former Prez KR Narayanan and othersAnother rainbow appeared as the flag was lowered at her Windsor Castle residence outside LondonShes been the queen for as long as Ive been alive shes been the queen for as long as my parents have been alive currency broker Charlie Wolstenholme told AFPSo shes really a very very important part of the fabric You know its going to be terribleSuzan Antonowicz compared it to losing a family memberShe is the mother of our nation She was heroic in so many situations My respect for her is incredible but my love is even bigger We will grieve our loss for years she saidChoking back the tears Joshua Ellis 24 said he was in shockEvery time people needed support she was there She was also a link to my grandmother who was a huge fan of her and passed away last year Nations conscience Drivers of Londons famous black taxis lined the Mall the road leading to Buckingham Palace in tribute while the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus glowed with a picture of the late monarchSupporters of Premier League football club West Ham spontaneously broke out into a rendition of God Save the Queen before their Europa Conference League fixture while Manchester United fans observed a minutes silence ahead of their matchShe was our conscience She was like the nations grandma said Sophie 27Many of the wellwishers at Buckingham Palace some carrying flowers came from outside the UKAs a French person even I am touched by this said student Chloe PapeilShe is a part of English culture but also global cultureThe queen an instantly recognisable figure to billions of people across the world was in her Platinum Jubilee year marking 70 years since she succeeded her father king George VI in 1952Britains longestserving monarch had been dogged by health problems since last October that left her struggling to walk and standNews spread rapidly across a shellshocked country with announcements in public spaces including a train from London to EdinburghIm speechless its very sad said lawyer Rory Turbet 38 who was travelling on the train for a weddingA lot of British people will feel that way shes been a constant presence in peoples lives he told AFPOn the streets of London animation producer Toni Cunningham told AFP I feel really sad I feel like my nana grandmother has diedShe did so much for this country she was here so much for usThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever