After British citizens surprised the world and voted to leave the European Union (EU) in June 2016, the UK Parliament voted in March 2017 to approve the triggering of Article 50, the EU’s legal provision for countries wishing to leave the bloc. After that, the two-year countdown clock began ticking on Britain’s March 29 exit. The photo (above) of a Union Jack flying from the mast of a vessel docked in the River Thames, amid a gathering gloom, is illustrative of the uncertainty that still prevailed around the withdrawal agreement when it was taken in late February.