An astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) focused a long lens on the Zambezi River where it flows over Africa's dramatic Victoria Falls. The falls were given their modern name in 1855 by the European explorer David Livingstone, who named them after Queen Victoria.

The most famous waterfall named after a queen is Victoria Falls, located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was named by the Scottish explorer David Livingstone in 1855 in honor of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Locally, the falls are known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, which translates to "The Smoke That Thunders." It is considered the largest curtain of falling water in the world, spanning over 1,700 meters in width. Another notable queen-themed waterfall is Queen Elizabeth II Falls (often just called Elizabeth Falls) in the Canadian Rockies, though it is much smaller and less globally recognized. For 2026 travelers visiting Victoria Falls, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage landmark; you can view it from the "Knife Edge Bridge" in Zambia or the various forest paths in Zimbabwe, both of which offer spectacular perspectives of the mile-wide Zambezi River plunging into a deep basalt gorge.