Photos show rainbows appearing in London and at Windsor Castle following Queen Elizabeth II's death at 96

• A rainbow appeared over Windsor Castle Thursday as flags were lowered following the Queen's death.
• Another rainbow was spotted over crowds gathered outside of Buckingham Palace.

Rainbows appeared over crowds gathered outside of Buckingham Palace and above the flags being lowered to half-staff at Windsor Castle following Queen Elizabeth II's death on Thursday, photos show.

The Queen's death was announced by Buckingham Palace Thursday evening after the palace announced that doctors were "concerned" for her health earlier in the day. Royal family members rushed to Balmoral in Scotland, where she had been living, to be by her side.

Crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace throughout the day after news of the Queen's health concerns was made public.

After a rainy afternoon, a double rainbow stretched across the sky above the royal palace. After the death of Queen Elizabeth was announced, crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace began singing "God Save the Queen."

At Windsor Castle, a rainbow appeared in the sky right next to the castle shortly after the Queen's death was announced.

'The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," King Charles wrote in a statement shared by Buckingham Palace on Twitter.

"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother," he continued. "I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms, and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."

"During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held," the statement concluded.

Across the Atlantic Ocean in the United States, flags were ordered to be flown at half-staff at the US Capitol following the news, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Chief of Staff tweeted.