Home
Politics
The 86-year-old monarch, wearing a black and gold cape, arrived 90 minutes into the concert and was instantly greeted by cheers from a sea of tens of thousands of revellers waving red, white and blue Union flags.
The queen smiled and waved to the crowd but there was a shadow over the proceedings after Prince Philip, who turns 91 on Sunday, was rushed to hospital suffering from a bladder infection.
"We all send our best wishes for a speedy recovery. I hear he's not too bad," said former Beatle Paul McCartney, who closed the concert.
Prince Philip will have to stay in hospital for several days, meaning he will also miss a service of thanksgiving and ceremonial carriage procession on Tuesday.
He had appeared in jovial form on Sunday, when he and the queen spent several hours in chilly conditions as they sailed down the Thames during a river pageant of 1,000 boats.
"He is, understandably, disappointed about missing this evening's Diamond Jubilee Concert and tomorrow's engagements," Buckingham Palace said.
Heir to the throne Prince Charles, his sons William and Harry and other royals and special guests including Prime Minister David Cameron moved to the beats in their special box, then stood to attention when the queen arrived.
After Williams got the show on the road with his hit "Let Me Entertain You" a series of top singers whipped up the crowd packed into the Mall, the ceremonial avenue leading to the palace, despite chilly conditions.
Singer Grace Jones hula-hooped throughout her entire act while singers Tom Jones and Cliff Richard sang medleys of hits dating back more than half a century.
But hopes that Harry might play the tambourine during a performance by the African Children's Choir of a charity song written for the occasion by Take That's Gary Barlow and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber failed to materialise.
Ska stars Madness were expected to sing their hit song "Our House" from the roof of the palace.
Elton John said the queen was "remarkable", adding: "She is stoic, wise, funny."
The gala concert will be followed by the lighting of the centrepiece in a chain of 4,200 beacons spanning the Commonwealth to celebrate her 60th year on the British throne.
A beacon has also been lit at the Treetops resort in Kenya where the queen was woken in 1952 to be told of the death of her father, king George VI.
As elephants ambled around a waterhole, Nahashon Muriithi remembered when as a young man of 24 working as porter he got to carry the bags of the young princess, adding: "We were thrilled... No one of her rank had ever come here."
The first beacon in the chain was set ablaze by a group of boy scouts and girl guides in the South Pacific islands of Tonga.
The next was ignited at Marlborough in New Zealand, followed by lightings at 10:00pm local time in other Commonwealth countries around the globe.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard -- who has openly expressed republican leanings -- lit the beacon in Canberra.
More than 10,000 people who won concert tickets in a ballot enjoyed a picnic in the palace gardens before the musical extravaganza to mark only the second diamond jubilee in British history.
Excited picnicgoers began queuing outside Buckingham Palace hours before the event.
"We're going to be part of history, so we're absolutely thrilled," said Shani Hanson, a barmaid from Yorkshire in northern England who had pinned a Union Jack bow to her bottom and carefully painted her nails to match.
The contents of their picnic hampers were overseen by Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal and included tea-smoked Scottish salmon; a chilled "country garden" soup made with plum tomatoes, mint and cucumber; cheese and biscuits; and strawberry crumble crunch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The queen smiled and waved to the crowd but there was a shadow over the proceedings after Prince Philip, who turns 91 on Sunday, was rushed to hospital suffering from a bladder infection.
"We all send our best wishes for a speedy recovery. I hear he's not too bad," said former Beatle Paul McCartney, who closed the concert.
Prince Philip will have to stay in hospital for several days, meaning he will also miss a service of thanksgiving and ceremonial carriage procession on Tuesday.
He had appeared in jovial form on Sunday, when he and the queen spent several hours in chilly conditions as they sailed down the Thames during a river pageant of 1,000 boats.
"He is, understandably, disappointed about missing this evening's Diamond Jubilee Concert and tomorrow's engagements," Buckingham Palace said.
Heir to the throne Prince Charles, his sons William and Harry and other royals and special guests including Prime Minister David Cameron moved to the beats in their special box, then stood to attention when the queen arrived.
After Williams got the show on the road with his hit "Let Me Entertain You" a series of top singers whipped up the crowd packed into the Mall, the ceremonial avenue leading to the palace, despite chilly conditions.
Singer Grace Jones hula-hooped throughout her entire act while singers Tom Jones and Cliff Richard sang medleys of hits dating back more than half a century.
But hopes that Harry might play the tambourine during a performance by the African Children's Choir of a charity song written for the occasion by Take That's Gary Barlow and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber failed to materialise.
Ska stars Madness were expected to sing their hit song "Our House" from the roof of the palace.
Elton John said the queen was "remarkable", adding: "She is stoic, wise, funny."
The gala concert will be followed by the lighting of the centrepiece in a chain of 4,200 beacons spanning the Commonwealth to celebrate her 60th year on the British throne.
A beacon has also been lit at the Treetops resort in Kenya where the queen was woken in 1952 to be told of the death of her father, king George VI.
As elephants ambled around a waterhole, Nahashon Muriithi remembered when as a young man of 24 working as porter he got to carry the bags of the young princess, adding: "We were thrilled... No one of her rank had ever come here."
The first beacon in the chain was set ablaze by a group of boy scouts and girl guides in the South Pacific islands of Tonga.
The next was ignited at Marlborough in New Zealand, followed by lightings at 10:00pm local time in other Commonwealth countries around the globe.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard -- who has openly expressed republican leanings -- lit the beacon in Canberra.
More than 10,000 people who won concert tickets in a ballot enjoyed a picnic in the palace gardens before the musical extravaganza to mark only the second diamond jubilee in British history.
Excited picnicgoers began queuing outside Buckingham Palace hours before the event.
"We're going to be part of history, so we're absolutely thrilled," said Shani Hanson, a barmaid from Yorkshire in northern England who had pinned a Union Jack bow to her bottom and carefully painted her nails to match.
The contents of their picnic hampers were overseen by Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal and included tea-smoked Scottish salmon; a chilled "country garden" soup made with plum tomatoes, mint and cucumber; cheese and biscuits; and strawberry crumble crunch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
