On a day when the weather couldn't have been grimmer, gloomier or more damp a carnival atmosphere reigned in the country.And the great British public turned out in their masses to fete the Queen.They were rewarded with a spectacular display on the River Thames and, amazingly, a stoic appearance from the octogenarian monarch who stood for four drizzling hours greeting the crowds.Knowing it will be a long time before anything else is seen on this scale, Elizabeth II smiled on throughout the day, resisting the temptation to leave the windswept deck of the Royal Barge for the warmth inside or to even sit down.
The most famous wave in the world was seen non-stop – from the beginning to the very end of the pageant.Indeed, her only concession to the wet weather was when she finally relented and put a shawl around her shoulders.It was a day, the Duke of Cambridge told one guest, that was "very emotional" for his grandmother.Buckingham Palace later said that the sovereign, and the rest of the royal family, were "touched" at the turnout for the Jubilee pageant.On Monday evening, the country will be treated to another memorable celebration as the royal roadshow continues with a star-studded concert.
Acts including Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Elton John will appear alongside the likes of Kylie Minogue, Cheryl Cole and Jessie J on a stage in front of Buckingham Palace, with Madness performing their single Our House on the roof of the royal residence.And in another impressive display of endurance, the hardy Queen (pictured below during her Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002) will be making a special appearance at the end of the concert.She and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh have asked to go on stage together to thank the crowds and the nation for their warm wishes.To pay tribute to the extraordinary monarch, her son Prince Charles and grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry have also decided to stand by her side.
At 22.30, the Queen will place a crystal glass diamond into a special pod that will trigger the lighting of the last of 4,500 beacons across the globe in celebration of her 60-year reign.
Throughout the evening, beacons will be lit in the UK, Channel Islands, the Commonwealth and other overseas territories before the final light shines out from The Mall.
Sixty will be lit in sequence on Hadrian’s Wall – one for each year of her time on the throne – and the Treetops hotel in Kenya, where as the Queen was told of her father’s death in 1952, will also take part.
Like the pageant, the evening will end with a magnificent fireworks display.
It is hoped that the weather will be significantly drier on Monday.
But, just in case rain clouds do gather, precautions have been taken at the special picnic being held in Buckingham Palace gardens in the afternoon.A plastic poncho and a union jack flag are being handed out to each of the guests – 10,000 ballot winners and VIPs – who will enjoy a hamper created for the occasion by Heston Blumenthal and royal chef Mark Flanagan.They will include tea-smoked Scottish salmon, chilled garden soup, a coronation chicken-inspired dish and strawberry crumble made from fruit grown on the Sandringham estate.There will also be cupcakes created by Fiona Cairns, who baked the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding cake, and cheese and biscuits.
The Diamond Jubilee concert features performances from
- Robbie Williams: Mack the Knife, Let Me Entertain You
- Cliff Richard: Medley
- Annie Lennox: There Must Be An Angel
- Elton John: I'm Still Standing, Your Song, Crocodile Rock
- Gary Barlow & Cheryl Cole: Need You Now
- JLS: Everybody In Love, She Makes Me Wanna
- Madness: Our House
- Ed Sheeran: A Team
- Kylie Minogue with Flawless: Medley
- Gareth Malone & The Military Wives: The National Anthem
- Gary Barlow, Andrew Lloyd Webber, African Children's Choir,Gurrumul, Slum Drummers, Gareth Malone & The Military Wives: Sing
- Jessie J: Domino
- Will.I.Am & Jessie J: I Gotta Feeling
- Shirley Bassey: Diamonds Are Forever
- Grace Jones: Slave To The Rhythm
- Stevie Wonder: Three songs TBC
- Paul McCartney: Live and Let Die plus two more songs TBC
- Tom Jones: Delilah, Mama Told Me Not To Come
- Jools Holland & Ruby Turner: You Are So Beautiful
- Alfie Boe: O Sole Mio
- Renee Fleming: Un Bel Di Vedremo
- Alfie Boe & Renee Fleming: Somewhere
- Lang Lang: Hungarian Rhapsody No6/Rhapsody in Blue
- The Overtones
Presented by Lenny Henry, Lee Mack, Peter Kay and Miranda Hart