Google has changed its logo to all black and added a black ribbon to its homepage as a mark of respect ahead of the Queen’s state funeral today.
The logo, which usually appears in bright red, yellow, blue and green colours, was replaced with grey text in the UK on September 8 – the day of the Queen’s death.
A black ribbon was also added below the logo, along with the message ‘Thank you, Ma’am’, and a link to ‘Reflect on the extraordinary life of Queen Elizabeth II’.
The grey logo was gradually rolled out to Google’s homepages in some other countries over the following days.
However, at exactly 00:00 BST on Sunday, September 18, the famous logo changed from grey to black in the UK.
This has been interpreted as an acknowledgement of the Queen’s funeral, which will take place at 11:00 BST today.
Google has changed its logo to all black and added a black ribbon to its homepage as a mark of respect ahead of the Queen’s state funeral today
The funeral service at Westminster Abbey will begin at 11:00 BST, and the doors have been open since 08:00 to allow guests to take their seats.
Google’s chief executive officer Sundar Pichai sent his own personal message of condolence for the Queen, with a post on his personal Twitter account
Google’s chief executive officer Sundar Pichai sent his own personal message of condolence for the Queen, with a post on his personal Twitter account.
‘Sending our deepest condolences to the people of the UK and around the world mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II,’ he wrote on September 8.
‘Her steadfast leadership and public service have been a constant through many of our lifetimes. She will be missed.’
He was among several tech leaders, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to pay tribute to Her Majesty.
‘I feel honored to have met HM Queen Elizabeth, and I am very sad to hear of her passing. My deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the British people,’ Gates wrote in a Twitter post.
Meanwhile, Bezos said: ‘I can think of no one who better personified duty. My deepest condolences to all the Brits mourning her passing today.’
Several Google users took to Twitter this morning to share images after spotting the logo change overnight
Several Google users took to Twitter this morning to share images after spotting the change overnight.
‘At 00:00, Monday morning (UK time), the #Google logo transitioned from a muted grey to a complete black – ahead of The Queen’s state funeral today,’ wrote Twitter user @RealKx1.
‘It’s just passed midnight here in the UK and the Google logo has gone from muted grey to black,’ wrote @TheGayAlbino.
‘The Google logo has turned from grey to black!’ wrote @LambethAndy.
The funeral service at Westminster Abbey will begin at 11:00 BST, and the doors have been open since 08:00 to allow guests to take their seats.
After the service, the Queen’s coffin will be transported to Wellington Arch, where it will be transferred to a hearse before making the journey to Windsor Castle.
The hearse will arrive at the castle just after 15:00 BST, and will travel in procession to St George’s chapel, where it will be committed by the Dean of Windsor.
The Queen will then be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by her family in the King George VI Memorial chapel at 19:30.
She will be buried with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.