Touching moment the clouds parted and a single ray of sunshine shone down on the Queen’s coffin, as hundreds of thousands lined the streets of Edinburgh to bid her farewell

• The symbolic moment was captured on camera during a procession which saw the Queen’s coffin taken to St Giles’ Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving
• King Charles III led a procession to the cathedral behind the Queen’s coffin which was draped with Royal Standard in Scotland and dressed with a wreath of flowers
• It comes after a double rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace alongside another one at Windsor Castle, with many convinced the Queen had ‘sent a sign’ and that she had ‘really left us’ 

A single ray of sunshine beamed down from the heavens has been captured on camera shining down on Queen Elizabeth II‘s coffin, during a procession to transport her body to St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Hundreds of thousands can be seen lining the streets during the procession led by King Charles III, in a bid to say their final goodbyes to the longest-serving British monarch of all time.

The image appears to show a beam of light shining down from the heavens in a direct line with the black hearse in which the Queen’s coffin was transported.

The photograph was taken as part of a procession led by Charles III with his three siblings, which saw a lone piper from Balmoral playing a lament, as Her Majesty was carried from the Palace of Holyroodhouse where she was lying in rest.

As the national anthem played the coffin was gently lowered into the hearse, watched by a visibly emotional King Charles and his siblings, Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, who then marched dolefully for 1,200 yards behind their beloved mother.

The symbolic moment is the second in a series of signs following the announcement of Her Majesty’s passing, the first coming in the form of a double rainbow over Buckingham Palace alongside another rainbow at Windsor Castle.

One twitter user said: ‘The rainbow at Windsor Castle made me cry. The rainbow Queen sent us a sign.’

Another said: ‘A rainbow breaks out, as the Union Jack is lowered to half-mast at Windsor tonight. A remarkable image. Farewell, Ma’am.’

Others took it as a sign that the Queen has ‘really left us’ as the rainbows appeared shortly as the news of the monarch’s death was announced

During the procession The Duke of York was not in military uniform like his siblings after Her Majesty stripped him of his titles because of the Epstein scandal. He was briefly heckled during the procession and Police Scotland said a 22-year-old man had been arrested.

As seen in the image hundreds of thousands lined the streets and applauded as the Queen was taken to the cathedral where her family, and a congregation drawn from all areas of Scottish society, attended a service of thanksgiving for her life.

The Queen’s casket was draped with the Royal Standard in Scotland and dressed with a wreath of flowers consisting of white Spray Roses, white Freesias, white button chrysanthemums, dried white heather from Balmoral, spray eryngium, foliage, rosemary, hebe, and pittosporum.

Bagpipes played the National Anthem from Holyrood Palace as the Queen’s coffin cortege began the walk up the Royal Mile. The hearse was flanked by a Bearer Party found by The Royal Regiment of Scotland and The King’s Body Guard for Scotland. Mounted police in ceremonial dress rode ahead of the parade.

King Charles walked solemnly in step with his brothers and sister behind the Queen. The assembled well-wishers fell silent as the hearse appeared. The crowd then broke out in spontaneous applause as the cortège approached and many shouted God Save the King and God Save the Queen.

Around 30 minutes later the Queen arrived at St Giles’ Cathedral where the Crown of Scotland was placed upon the coffin. After the service, members of the public will be allowed to file past to pay their respects for 24 hours before Her Majesty is moved to London by plane.

Earlier the King met with well-wishers who lined the streets of Edinburgh to see him today in an unplanned walkabout as Scotland’s capital welcomed the new monarch and mourned the Queen – with so many people turning up that police were forced to turn many away.