The Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

For only the second time in history, a British Monarch celebrates a

Diamond Jubilee. The reign of Queen Elizabeth II has

spanned 60 years. Six decades of momentous change in the United

Kingdom and the world. But her guiding principle, set out

long ago, has never changed. declare before you all that my

whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your

service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we

all belong. This weekend, the Queen matches the

achievement of her great, great grandmother, Victoria, and

celebrates her Diamond Jubilee. The stage is just about set at

Buckingham Palace for three days of events on a lavish scale. A concert

here with all the stars, a National Service at St Paul's Cathedral and

today, a spectacular tribute on the river. Welcome to the Thames

So this is it. Welcome to viewers around the UK. Indeed around the

world, to the official start of the Diamond Jubilee events. Here on BBC

One, you will not miss a thing. We have unrivalled coverage over the

coming days. And that's just underline the significance of what

is happening. The Queen is only the second British Monarch to celebrate

a Diamond Jubilee. Her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria, was

the first back in 1897. It has to be said that she celebrated in

spectacular, imperial style. 2012 will be equally impressive, though

in rather different ways. The weekend has already started well

for the Queen. Yesterday, a visit to the Epsom Derby, a regular

annual trip for the Queen for the past eight decades. Derby is said

to be the first event that goes into the Queen's diary every year.

That's the importance of it for the Royal Family and it has to be said,

some rather nice pleasant weather yesterday. The race was won by the

favourite, Camelot, not one of the Queen's horses, but still a good

day out nonetheless. That was yesterday. Lovely sunshine.

I'm not going to reveal the secret of today's weather. Behind me, the

stage is ready for the big concert tomorrow night. Who can I mention?

Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Shirley Bassey, Kylie

Minogue, Robbie Williams. It's a very long list of the biggest names

in music. And they'll be performing for the Queen under the steady gaze

of Victoria herself because the stage has been cleverly set around

the Queen Victoria Memorial. Beautifully done and a great arena

for the concert. By the way, those lucky ones who've managed to get

tickets for the concert will also be enjoying a picnic in the gardens

of Buckingham Palace. At the end of the concert, the Queen will light

the last in a worldwide network of Diamond Jubilee beacons, some 4,000

of them across the UK and the Commonwealth. On Tuesday, just

looking ahead, an extra Bank Holiday across the UK, the Queen

will attend a service at St Paul's Cathedral. She'll have lunch at

Westminster and then she will return to Buckingham Palace in a

carriage procession ready for a flypast by the Royal Air Force

which the Royal Family will be watching from that famous balcony

behind me. That will bring the Diamond Jubilee events of 2012 to a

close. The celebrations, as I've already

said, not confined to the UK, nations of the Commonwealth and

across the world are already taking part. Let's have a look.

Hundreds of children in the capital of Tuvalu, the island is 1,000

miles of Fiji, already holding their own Jubilee lunch today.

A very different scene in the south of France. The British expats

celebrating the Jubilee with probably some nice food and good

wine too. Thousands of miles away in Pakistan,

students and teachers of Fazia College in Islamabad holding a

lunch and also taking part in all kinds of competitions, art

competitions and the like, to mark the day.

Let's go to Afghanistan. In Helmand province, British forces already

enjoying their Jubilee lunch and some rather nice gifts from home

Just a sense for you of what is going on, not just in the UK. We'll

talk more about that around the world too. The latest estimate is

that there are 10,000 street parties being held in the UK this

weekend. That matches the number organised for the Queen's

Coronation back in 1953. I have to say, it's rather more than took

place last year for the Royal Wedding and that was an event on a

huge scale, as we know. We are going the hear from some of those

taking part in today's celebrations. My colleague Mark Simpson is at

Bangor Castle in Northern Ireland to tell us what is going on there.

Mark. Quite a day here in Northern

Ireland, not just this wonderful Jubilee party, we've had the

Olympic Torch here in this town just up the road from here, and

believe it or not, we haven't had one drop of rain. Let me talk you

through some of the highlights, highlights - get it - of this

party! We have 1950s fashion from two swinging sisters here, Clare

and Marie. Take us back 60 years, what was the fashion like then?

wearing an original 1950s piece myself that I sourced in a vintage

market. We are all about the 1950s here, we have some beautiful

examples of the style. You only have to look at the series for the

wonderful examples of the fashion. This is a day dress, a house coat

dress that the ladies would have worn during the day, then in the

evening, the big skirts like this cocktail dress. No reproduction

here in Bangor today, it's all original. Oo er, missus suss. It's

about time I got into the swing of the party. I'll have one of these.

Bye-bye from Bangor! Talk to you later. A sense of the

excitement there building which is rather nice. Across the water to

Scotland now to Edinburgh to James Cook who is there for us.

Yes, Huw, thank you very much. It has to be said that there are far

fewer street parties in Scotland happening than there are in other

parts of the country. Nonetheless, this one is in full swing, a pipe

band getting ready to play. Let's show you the view down the street

with the bunting. We can talk to Ewan here. Hi. Hi. What is the

purpose of the party? It's all about the community here and, in

the sense that there's a range of views of people that live here,

about nationalism and the monarchy and everything, but this kind of

sits above it, the sense of continuity and really the sense of

community that's really quite rare and precious. Thank you very much.

Enjoy the party. We'll just walk further on down the street and

speak to Jane who's organising this party. How is it going? We are

having a fantastic time, lot of fun and people enjoying themselves.

Aren't we, girls? Yes. And the weather's holding up? It started to

rain a little bit before but I think we are going to be fine. It's

great. Thank you very much. So that's the street party here in

Scotland. As I say, it's one of relatively few happening here

compared to other parts of the United Kingdom, but they are in

festive and excited spirit about this Jubilee here on this street at

least. Thank you very much James. James

with a flavour of what is going on in parts of Scotland. We'll hop to

Wales to Rhosneigr Beach in Anglesey now where Sian Lloyd is

for us. Yes, we have come inside the

village hall here on Rhosneigr. There was due to be a huge beach

party. It was rained off, but that hasn't dampened the spirits.

Hundreds of people here enjoying the big lunch. We are just around

the corner to the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince

William being stationed in Anglesey. Joy Thomas, your father was

involved in celebrations for the Coronation, yes? That's right. He

decided to have a competition and make a film about the celebrations

in the village, so he designed a coach, had it made and all the

children in the village dressed up, my mother made all the costumes on

an old hand machine and we just had a great time. It was lovely. My

sister and I were on the ponies. Happy memories for you today?

A great carnival atmosphere here in Rhosneigr and the party is due to

continue for the next couple of days as well because tomorrow

they've got a parade going through the village.

Sian, thank you very much. Rhosneigr Beach there in Anglesey.

A sense of what is going on in Scotland, Northern Ireland and

Wales. The spotlight here today is very clearly on the River Thames.

That's where more than 1,000 vessels of different shapes and

sizes set to take part in the biggest pageant that's seen on the

river for 350 years. Rather cloudy, rather misty. It's been drizzly,

but believe me, as you will see many the hours ahead, the spirits

are certainly energetic and dynamic. Up to a million people we think

lining the banks to get a direct view. For those who can't make it,

including those now maybeing their way towards some of the parks,

there will be dozens of big screens in parks and public squares around

the UK carrying the BBC's coverage of the days events on the river.

Great sense of the expanse of the River Thames and, as we look at

this, that's looking down towards Battersea there, as we look at the

expanse of the Thames, I want you to just bear in mind that when the

great river pageants of the past took place, the River Thames was,

if you can believe it, twice the width we see today. Shallower but

twice the width. Today's pageant will be in a very concentrated form.

I think we'll see some really impressive, dynamic, colourful,

exciting images as we go along. Now, we want to know what you're

doing to celebrate the weekend as we enjoy the images and the people

start to get ready with their drinks and very smartly dressed.

You can tell us whether you are having a street party, whether you

are enjoying a Jubilee barbecue in the garden with families and

friends. Send tus photos. We'll try to show as many as possible later

in the day. This is how you do it: Send us your photos. I'll also give

you a Twitter hashtag as well. You can share pictures via Twitter as

well. Please do that and we'll have a look at them later on. A sense

there of some of the build-up on the river. Plenty more to come.

We already know what some of you have been doing because the sailors

among you have been preparing for months and months for this grand

pageant today with boats coming from around the UK and indeed much

further afield, China and Hawaii and other places too including New

Zealand. Let's look at this. This morning, a crew of a Maori Waka

boat were greeted by the New Zealand Prime Minister John Kay and

they responded with a ceremonial Haka. A Great War cry normally to

intimidate the opposition, certainly on the rugby pitch. Today

a gesture of respect, just to mark if occasion. -- the occasion. All

rather terrifying. A sense of the international flavour of the day.

I'll tell you what is a good idea now maybe is to have a lack at the

route of the pageant. I want to give you a sense of the geography

of the River Thames. A five mile section at the heart of the pageant,

longer if you include the build-up, from the Albert Bridge to the east,

then sailing eastwards crossing under 14 bridges if I've counted

them properly after Lambeth Bridge, then hitting some of the really big

sites of Central London. Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster,

the London Eye on the South Bank there, past Waterloo Bridge. A

great Vista there, the City of London and the Gherkin on the left.

The new Shard, the sharp object on the right, just passed St Paul's

Cathedral, the wobbly millennium Bridge, as some call it, London

Bridge which at one time was the only bridge across the River Thames,

then heading towards that great symbol of the City of London, Tower

Bridge right next to the Tower of London. It will be fully raised in

salute as the Royal barge passes beneath it. Then the Royal barge

will carry on a few yards and stop at HMS President. That's where the

Queen will be surveying the scene and seeing the flotilla as it

passes by. Just looking beyond that, as you

will see some sailing ships, the biggest ships, with the masts too

high to pass under the bridges, will be lining the river from

London Bridge to Wapping in the east of London, creating an avenue

of sail. A little sense of it there, but believe me in real life, it

will look really impressive. It's pretty clear having explained all

that, that staging the pageant has involved, in the case of the man

who's organised the main thing, more than two years of detailed

planning. 1,000 vessels involved, 20,000 people involved. I don't

need to say it's a huge amount of When I talked earlier on about five

miles, that is the formal section at the heart of the pageant. If you

include all the build-up and the muster and where they disperse, you

are getting on for 13 miles. Now leading the flotilla will be a

specially-made belfry carrying out new bells, the first of ten music

barges heralding a new section of boats. After the bells, the Royal

Row Barge, the Gloriana. That will be followed by 260 rowing boats.

They will be the pacesetters for the entire flotilla. After that, 56

boats reflecting the Commonwealth, the flags of the Commonwealth. Then,

we will see the Royal Squadron, including the Royal Barge itself,

carrying the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. And behind the Royal

Party, 42 of the brave Dunkirk little ships, followed by 58

historic and service vessels. Then we find 50 working boats made up of

steamboats and tugs. Then 67 recreational motorboats and fire

vessels - I told you it was impressive in scale - 61

narrowboats and barges, 76 passenger boats. At the tail-end, a

great end to it, the last of the ten music barges with the London

Philharmonic Orchestra providing a wonderful finale at Tower Bridge

marking the end of the pageant. I'm breathless after that! It really is

spectacular. You can imagine all of that making the great progress

towards Tower Bridge. It will be a really big spectacle. That is the

order the boats will follow. To keep a close eye on the flotilla,

we have Sophie Raworth and Matt Baker. Let's join them. We will be

watching very closely. The crowds here have been waiting since 6.00am,

can you believe? Some have slept on the banks. As you have been saying,

remarkable pictures. There's hardly any room to stand along the sides.

Over a million people are expected to be here. That is despite the

very British weather! It's a great atmosphere out there. We have

special guests joining us here. We have also got a team of reporters

on boths, on bridges, on banks along the route. We will go live to

the Royal Row Barge, Gloriana. We will be joining servicemen and

women and Olympic gold medallists Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew

Pinsent will be in action. Tess Daly is enjoying a very British

festival at Battersea Park. There she is. Not a bad Strictly jive.

Sian Williams is soaking up the atmosphere on Tower Bridge and

gearing up to the grand finale that will be taking place there.

Fantastic. Amazing crowds. It is fair to say that history is going

to be made on the River Thames today. Thank you very much. Back

with you when it's all about to start. We won't miss a second of it.

Our guide to the pageant, with a bird's-eye view, is the BBC's Paul

Dickenson. Welcome. Thank you, Huw. You said it will be

spectacular. It is building up very nicely here down at Chelsea Pier.

The imminent arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of

Cornwall and they, of course, are going to greet Her Majesty the

Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, along with the magnificent Chelsea

Pensioners who will form a Guard of Honour for the Queen, before she

meets with the Lord-Lieutenant of meets with the Lord-Lieutenant of

Greater London. He will be down there on the jetty. You can see his

back there. Herald trumpeters and the Queen's Barge Master are on

standby to welcome her on board the Britannia Launch. That boat is

going to take her on a short journey down to Cadogan Pier where

she will board the Royal Barge and there she will join other members

of the Royal Family. It is all very exciting.

Thank you very much. Nice to see the Chelsea Pensioners lined up

waiting for the Queen's arrival. Let me tell you what is going to

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

When you hear the bells, that will There you are. A quick guide to the

timings. If all goes to plan, those timings will be adhered to pretty

firmly, despite the fact that, in some cases, the weather has

introduced a few complicating factors. That is the plan. Today's

river panellent will include some modern boats - we have seen --

river pageant will include some modern boats - we have seen some of

them. The idea, the concept of a river pageant is centuries'-old.

Some of the grandest events in London's long history have taken

place on the River Thames. I have been talking to some of those

closely involved in planning It is a waterway that spans 250

miles. It is the flow through the heart of London that's rightly

called "liquid history" and the noblest river in Europe. A symbol

of power and wealth down the ages. From merchants and bankers, to

tourists and traders, the River Thames has been the lifeblood of

London. It is that mix of power and pageantry, of money and might,

that's made this the location of some of the most spectacular Royal

events ever seen. The images of many of those events have been

brought together for the first time at the National Maritime Museum in

Greenwich. The centrepiece is a painting by Canaletto of a Lord

Mayor's Procession. This is the visual inspiration for the Thames

Diamond Jubilee Pageant. The last time this was seen in London was in

Canaletto's studio. The paint would have still been drying. These are

the great medieval companies who elect the Lord Mayor. They are

showing off the wealth and their status within the city. You really

do begin to use the river as this great processional route. Music was

part of that entertainment as well? Absolutely. You have to think of

George I commissioning Handl to write The Water Music. You have

guns being fired and crowds cheering. Are there lessons there

for 2012? I think London is better suited. The river is now better for

a pageant than it's ever been in the past. It is narrower. So people

are closer to the action. There are embankments and so many bridges on

the Thames now. For the viewer, it is spot-on now. And the man whose

job it is to match or beat the great pageants of the past is

Adrian Evans, the Diamond Jubilee Pageant Master. This is the first

time I have seen this painting in the flesh. It conveys the

excitement and just the thrill of being there on that great day.

you going to try and match this? I'd say bigger and better! If it

can be bigger and better, 260 years after Canaletto's masterpiece, why

take on the challenge of a grand river pageant in the 21st Century?

We are an island nation. The sea and the rivers are part of our

national character. It felt appropriate to be doing something

on water. The Thames has been revitalised, reinvented, if you

like, in recent years. It felt right to be doing a river pageant

for today's generation. What can we expect to see? There's 1,000 boats

on the River Thames. That is a scale that has not been seen for

generations. There are small boats and big boats and narrowboats.

There are motorised boats and man- powered boats and sailing boats

interleaved by ten music barges and, at the heart, the jewel, the Royal

Barge itself. When this great event is over, what, for you, will

constitute success? More than anything, I suppose, if people are

still talking about this event 250 years down the line, if you like if

it survives as well as Canaletto's image has, I will have made history.

That is the challenge. It was a lovely day on the Thames a few days

ago. Let's not think too much about that today. If you get the

opportunity at any stage to pop along to the National Maritime

Museum, it is worth seeing the exhibition, if only to see that

Canaletto. I don't think it will be back here for a long time to come.

It is a fantastic, splendid, glorious painting. A little plug

for that! That is the thinking and the history behind today's

spectacular event. The organisers - we heard Adrian there - they want

it to be big, memorable and they want it to be lots of fun. So stay

with us. It is all about to start. I will hand you over to Sophie and

Matt to guide you through the afternoon. Enjoy it.

We are at Old Billingsgate. What a view we have got, opposite HMS

Belfast, where the grand finale will be in just a few hours' time.

This is where all the boats are heading on their five-mile journey.

It will be an extraordinary sight. There are huge crowds who have been

waiting for hours and hours. Some have camped overnight! We got some

great stories from them. Miles back up the Thames, all the way to

Putney, are the boats. They are queuing up in what is called the

muster. Some have been out there since 10.00am this morning. Your

dad is one of them! My dad is one of them. They have been waiting

there to take their part in the pageant. Those man-powered boats

will be leading the way. How come these boats have been chosen to

take part today? Well, all the vessels were selected and invited

by the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant Team and the Port Authority.

Some have been chosen because of their links with the River Thames.

There's every sort of boat that you could possibly imagine. Boat fans

are in their elements today. Look out for dinghys, dragonboats,

kayaks and many others. Once they are finally released from their

moorings, it is going to be a terrific sight. 1,000 vessels on

the River Thames, accompanying the Royal Barge as it makes its way up

here to Tower Bridge. Only in Great Britain you could get this! In this

weather! Indeed. The question is how many umbrellas will be out

there? We are showcasing many people who have made their way from

all over the UK and the Commonwealth to be here today.

the last couple of days, the vessels have had to undergo a

rigorous inspection to make sure they are seaworthy. Chris Hollins

has been finding out if they are all fit to float.

Hundreds of boats will be descending on the Thames. So,

imagine what would happen if one of them broke down or sank? The

celebration could turn into chaos. The task of making sure that

doesn't happen is down to Brian, Jason and their team of inspectors.

We are looking at the general arrangements of boat, making sure

they have safety equipment on there. Life jackets as well - making sure

they fit. That kind of thing. So safety is paramount for this event

to be a success. Nearly 200 boats have come here to West India Dock

to be inspected. The Marine and Coastguard Agency usually has a

team of eight inspectors. For the pageant, they have teamed up with

the Port of London Authority. It is a massive job. It has been quite a

long process. We know most of the boats now. Inside and out! How many

boats have you been looking at? Over 500. I'm not very skilful. Do

You must be Sarah, according to our list. Hello. Nice to meet you.

you. Can you take us to the engine room? Certainly. We are looking for

leakages. Oil. This looks immaculate. It is, yes. A big

thumbs up from you? Yes. I'll check out the kettle, the milk and

biscuits. No tea and biscuits for the port of London authority,

they've now got to get all the boats to the start point of the

pageant and lined up safely. Now we are coming up to the busiest bit,

right? This bit from tower pier to Westminster Bridge, this is, you

know, without doubt the busiest waterway in the UK, probably this

little bit here the busiest water port in Europe.

The logistics of this event are simply breathtaking. This lot are

all lined up and ready. So that's 82 of them. 918 to go!

Chris will be a busy man this afternoon. He's on board Constant,

the boat that has the flexibility to move throughout different

sections of the Pageant throughout the day. Tell us more? Right now,

we are just in-between Albert Bridge and Chelsea Bridge and you

can probably just make out in the can probably just make out in the

distance there that beautiful Royal Barge, The Spirit of Chartwell and

we are really just on the south side of the river. You can probably

make out there will be an emergency lane there and you probably saw the

Port of London Authority, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and

the RNLI. We'll be watching and making sure this goes without a

hitch. Let's go back to the Royal Barge because I think a few members

of the Royal Family have just arrived. Chelsea Bridge is where we

are at at the moment and the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of

Cornwall being greeted by Sir David Brewer, the Lord lieutenant of

Greater London, a great day for him. The gentleman on the right hand

side is actually a former Lord Mayor of the City of London. He's

certainly used to these regal occasions.

The atmosphere, as I was saying, has been building beautifully here

at Chelsea. They will take the short walk down the pier in a

little while as they wait for Her Majesty the Queen on her great day.

Chelsea Hospital Colonel introducing the Prince of Wales to

I called them earlier the magnificent Chelsea Pensioners -

what a fantastic day for them too. Their home of course is the Royal

Chelsea Hospital. It was founded back in 1682 by King Charles II.

They provided soldiers with a fitting home in their retirement

after service to their country. The hospital is in fact making itself

ready to receive soldiers from the current campaigns in Afghanistan

and Iraq and those -- when those Just look at the number of

spectators in the background there. The Prince of Wales just talking to

Dorothy Hope, the only lady in that contingent. And down at Cadogan

Pier, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with the Duke's

brother, Prince Harry. They're being met by the Deputy Lord

Just spending a bit of time walking and talking which they do and have

slotted in to this role beautifully. Those people will have been

delighted to have met the Duchess today.

That's looking back up Cadogan Pier. From where the Queen and the Duke

of Edinburgh will ultimately alight. The Spirit of Chartwell which will

take them down the river towards The Britannia launch just in the

foreground there to the left hand side of that other ship, just at

the bottom of the pier. Prince Charles is the man who will meet

The atmosphere back at Cadogan Pier, which is about an eighth of a

nautical mile away from the Chelsea Pier, absolutely incredible. If

this is a sane of things to come, we are in for a fantastic day.

-- sense of things to come, we are in for a fantastic day. Michael

Locket and his wife, the Chief Executive officer of the Thames

Jubilee Foundation. Just walking ahead of Prince Harry

And those people who've waited patiently for so many hours have

only had a brief glimpse of the Royal party but they'll be

absolutely delighted. There is the Spirit of Chartwell. We'll be

obviously talking about that a lot more throughout the afternoon. And

and that is the boat that will take the Royal party at the Head of The

Pageant right down to tower Bridge. The Deputy Lord lieutenant shaking

hands there with the Duke of Prince William in his RAF uniform

accompanied, of course, by his brother, Captain of the Army air

corps in the Blues and Royals, number one ceremonial dress. The

gentleman with his back to us, the Pageant master, Adrian Evans. He's

been responsible for goodness only knows how long now for putting

everything together. The Royal watermen greeting the Royal party

as they come on board. So the advanced guard is on the Spirit of

Chartwell as they wait for the guest of honour. Princess Elizabeth

steam train on Battersea rail bridge. The train has been on the

bridge since round about 2 o'clock, just a little while ago. There are

four men on board. The chairman of the Princess Elizabeth locomotive

society Ltd. He's the main man certainly. The crowd is building up

superbly. There's a little bit of wind, but I don't think it's going

to affect the passage of all the boats that are going to be on the

river in just a little under half an hours' time. Down at Southwark

now and the crowds here, goodness me, absolutely huge. Last time we

saw crowds on the streets of London this big were back, of course, in

April, when we had the London Marathon. And what a year it's

We saw some Royals at Wembley yesterday when of course England

beat Belgium 1-0. I'm sure football fans will realise that. And we saw

some look-alikes there and we have a few here too.

There is just a little preview of Pageants on the river have been

going on for a long, long time, the first was 1843. And that is the

Queen's car coming around the corner very shortly. In fact, it

was the Lord Mayor's show that used to start on the river. That's why

they were called floats in those Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth

II. The Duke of Edinburgh too. Being greeted by Sir David Brewer.

I do believe the crowd already are Simon Bait again of Chelsea

Hospital introduces the 20 Chelsea Pensioners on what is their great

day today as well. And these are all men and women who've seen

service, active service for their country. Of course, there's a very

strong relationship between the Donald Cosack was one of the

gentlemen in the wheelchair. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of

Cornwall meeting mother and mother- The Duke of Edinburgh just out of

shot wearing his Admiral of the The six trumpeters of the Royal

Marines on bought the Connaught. Mr Jason to the Britannia launch

Certainly, the Queen will know the Britannia Launch well. Now she

meets the Heralds, who are flanking her either side.

Well, this is the Britannia Launch, of course, that is going to take

the Royal Party about three- quarters of a mile up towards the

Royal Barge. She was greeted on board, the Britannia Launch, by

The Royal Launch, of course, of Her Majesty's yacht Britannia, was used

while the Royal yacht was in service to convey the Queen from

ship-to-shore. Decommissioned in 1997. The train sending her message

to the Queen. For train enthusiasts, The Duke of Edinburgh recognising

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

that these crowds are so The flotilla has begun. Amazing.

The thing that strikes me is the look on the Queen's face. She looks

so happy to be back on the Britannia Launch. Absolutely

beaming. Fantastic. We are joined by Dr Anna Whitelock, historian,

and also by Wesley Kerr. Amazing scenes. The Queen is thrilled by

this. This is one of her favourite boats. Famously, she wept when

Britannia was decommissioned in '97. Britannia, they said, was the only

house that they owned that they were able to choose the interior

furnishings for and they loved that ship. This was the little launch. I

have been on that launch. When Britannia was out in the harbour,

that will be the launch that would take you to parties. She is almost

like a little girl. The wonderful thing I love about the Queen is

that she loves every little outing. She loves to be busy. She loves to

do her job. They didn't suggest this, the Palace. They have

embraced it whole heartedly. She will be thinking of the wonderful

enjoyment both the television viewers and the million people who

are going to see it in her great capital city. She's opened half the

buildings she will be passing today. What an amazing day for her today

and for the Duke. To be there, on that launch that took her to the

places... All round the Commonwealth. It was a proper ship.

It was just so beautiful. 220 sailors it had. No shouted orders,

just hand signals. It was their floating home. Anna, put this all

in context. We are going to see 1,000 vessels on the River Thames.

It is hugely significant. The association between the Royals and

the river has gone back centuries, of course. Also, at key moments,

the Royals have shown themselves on the river. It has been this great

conveyor belt through history. The Royals have turned out on the river

at times of celebration. We see that today. Famously, Charles II,

after the restoration of the monarchy, he brings Katherine along

the river to introduce her to the city at a time when she hasn't been

crowned because she is Catholic. So, key moments. Anne Boleyn, of course,

travelled along the Thames for her Coronation and then three years

later, to the Tower of London. We saw the Canaletto painting. The

Pageant Master has said, "What's going to be the Canaletto of

today's image?" Who will be the next Canaletto? It will be an

iconic moment to catch the Queen getting on and off the barge.

Thames is so much narrower? Yes, the 1662 pageant was described by

the bloggers of the day as, "The most spectacular pageant ever." Is

this going to be a poor imitation? I don't think so! It is much

narrower and more intense. The banks of the river are heaving.

hope the wind stays down for the rowers. Rowing into a head wind --

head-wind is not fun. People will see this as a key moment. The Royal

Launch is ferrying the Queen to the Chelsea Pier. Britannia is moored

permanently at Leith Docks and we are been finding out from some

former crew members why it holds On the working parties that we

On the working parties that we attend, it is a pilgrimage now. We

all like to work out part of the ship. We have all got stories to

tell, stories to relate to. This was my home for 11 years. This was

my bunk. I think the great part of being on the Britannia was the soul,

which was the people. It was all one big happy family. We worked for

the Royal Family. I used to write scripts that involved ten or 12

people. The band would assemble here. The audience would be here.

Sitting right here would be the Royal Family. One of the greatest

things about doing one of these performances was the pleasure to

see Her Majesty the Queen laughing. It was a fabulous sensation.

Britannia for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh was always

special. This was really the home that they made, coincident with

being a Royal Yacht. She would travel abroad, meet all the people,

she would come back, sit in her own quarters, relax, and she really did

enjoy coming on board. She would walk around in a jumper and a pair

of slacks and a headscarf and be relaxed knowing there was no

paparazzi around the corner trying to take photographs. She said, "I'm

12-13,000 miles from London. This is my home." This vessel was

decommissioned on 11th December 1997. The Queen's Piper had come

down from Balmoral. He was playing Highland Cathedral. The piece of

music at that time was stunning. That is the time that the tears

rolled down everybody's face. will always remain with all of us

who were here at the end. It was a very moving day, there is no

question about that. It is that line, 11,000 miles away, she felt

as if she was at home. It was so important to her, Britannia? When

she hosted a reception, she would just wander around like she would

do at her house, and they were completely at ease. You could have

grand things. They could host 250 people, or you could have intimate

things. Famously, the summer holiday began every year going up

the Western Isles of Scotland. Then having lunch with the Queen Mother,

so they would come aboard on that launch. The Queen would greet them

and give the most marvellous meal. This is some of the greatest

occasions of their life as a occasions of their life as a

married couple. Yeah. As well as being a great flagship for Britain.

I remember seeing it in Belize and we had been on tour with her in

South America. There was the ship. Her joy as she walked along the

gangways. I remember her once saying to me in the Cayman Islands,

"I'm so glad we brought the boat this time!" She is so happy to be

back on it. They love boats. They were on a canal barge in Burnley,

an amphibious vehicle in Liverpool and a ship at Els mere port. They

love boats. Their -- at Ellesmere Port. They love boats. Her

grandfather was a sailor. Two of her kids were sailors. They just

love ships. What do you think she will make... She is about to reach

the Royal Barge. We can see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. What

will she make of that? It's the marvellous combination of spectacle

and intimacy, which is the great joy of having a family on the

throne. There she is, about to see her kids, her grandkids. It's a

family outing. We can all take part in that outing. What a joyous

occasion. People say the Queen has seen everything before. She won't

have seen anything like today. is an interesting point. This isn't

the first time she has been on the water in Jubilee terms? Nothing so

grand. In 1977, there was - she progressed from Greenwich to

Lambeth for the Silver Jubilee. There was a pageant then. It was

only 140 boats. Famously, when she came back from the Commonwealth

tour on Britannia in 1954, she came here to the pool of London, where

we are, with Churchill on board. It is so much part of our history, so

much part of her history, the family history. The Royal Watermen

on board the Britannia Launch getting everything absolutely

perfect. The Queen will alight a ship she knows so well. Then to

move on to the Royal Barge. Everybody is looking forward to

seeing this magnificent craft, The Spirit of Chartwell, slip her

moorings and head off downstream towards Tower Bridge. That is when

the pageant really gets under way. The many guests on board can't wait

for the presence of the Queen and 220 feet in length, that's a little

under 70 metres. 22 feet wide, just over six-and-a-half metres. Has a

maximum speed of 12 knots but I don't think she'll need to go that

quick here today. It's a big craft. Looks absolutely resplendent.

Bedecked with flowers and plants. And very rich velvet there down the

side of the boat. Gold medallions embossing the velvet swags. Luckily,

if it starts to rain heavily, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh

will sit at the top of this craft. The Royal Standard being raised to

show the presence of the Queen. That gilding is absolutely

A top British craftsman been working on that craft creating

magnificent gilded sculptures, just to decorate the boat. Looks

The wind seems to be picking up a little bit. As we can see from the

Pennants which are almost parallel to the deck. The Queen and the Duke

of Edinburgh are on board. Adrian Evans, the Pageant Master greets

Gentleman with his back to us there, Admiral Mark Stanner, the First Sea

Lord, greets members of the Royal This really must be a fantastic day

for the Queen. I'm sure we'll be talking throughout the afternoon

about some of the changes she's seen since she came to the throne.

I don't think I've seen the Queen smile so much in such a short time.

Wonderful to see. And the barge looks amazing. While

the Queen greets some of her guests, we'll go to some of London's most

famous bridges, because along the Thames, we have, not just hundreds

of thousands of people, but also an army of reporters. Let's say hello.

Right, I'm on Westminster Bridge, we've got a huge crowd here and

they're all... CHEERING Are they ready to cheer?!

This is my old stomping ground, the Palace of Westminster, but I've

never seen anything like this, we are all excited getting ready for

the boats to come up here. I'll be talking about the pomp and

pageantry with the actor, Richard E Grant. We are going to be here in

the best place on the front row of Over the centuries, hundreds of

artists have turned to the River Thames for inspiration. We've seen

the famous Canaletto who created a verys a tellically pleasing London,

for the may nous 19th century artists like Turner, Whistler and

Monet, they wanted realism, they wanted to relish the grimey

underbelly of London and most of all, they loved weather. Plenty of

that today. The wind, rain, fog, mist, you name it. I'm on the

millennium Bridge, it's become the arts and cafs Bridge for today and

here with 20 artists, we are all here to capture the moment that the

Royal Pageant flows past us -- arts and crafts. We want to put our own

unique stamp on this grand moment in history.

This impressive London landmark has been painted a good few times. This,

of course, is Tower Bridge and I'm in the crowd, we are all very

excited because we are going to... CHEERING

We are going to be here for a fantastic finale. We are in prime

position. Just to let you know what is coming up. We have a man here

later who knows everything there is to know about Tower Bridge and all

the architectural gems up and down the rufr Thames, Dan Cruickshank

will be talking us through that. We'll speak to the tourer Bridge

master who'll be feeling nervous, Eric Suthern, because he has the

job of raising the bridge to let the flotilla pass through. And, we

are going to be entertained this afternoon by the cast of The

Horrible Histories. Enchente... Charles II.

I know who you are. Sian having a lovely time there.

Enchente. Very clever. I have to say, I went

on board the Royal Barge about two weeks ago and it did not look like

that. That's Gloriana isn't it? That's why it didn't look like that.

I thought they were zooming out. That is Spirit of Chartwell. That

is it. 24 carat gold. Look at that! Spectacular, absolutely amazing.

The flowers done by Rachel de Thame, thousands of blooms on to the decks

she's put on there, the thrones which have been specially made. And

Adrian who's talking her through all of this, what a moment for him.

Can you imagine sleeping last night for him? It's three years in the

making this. Three years he's been preparing this, and this is the big

day. The weather could have been better but actually, it's holding

on. She's just beaming though isn't she, just so can't wait to sit down

and get going. Yes, she's just nodding him through now saying, can

we sit down and get on with it. She'll spend 75 minutes between

Cadogan Pier and up here to Tower Bridge and she'll be spending most

of that time, if not all, on deck, very aware that the public have

come out thousands and thousands of people on the river banks just to

see her on show on the Royal Barge. There we are, setting the tempo.

The watermen. The boat that will be leading this historic pageant is

called the Belfry, a boat with eight bells on board, each bell

named after one of the senior Royals, the biggest being the

Queen's. The Belfry weighser in nearly 11 tonnes and will be

ringing out pretty much continuously along the way which

will be incredible. Along the route, bells in churches in London and

across the UK will answer it as it goes. That is something like 1,000

bells ringing out. So if you can hear bells wherever you are in a

village, you will know what is going on. The sound generator will

not need any amplification, but right on board the Belfry leading

the way in this pageant is John Barrowman. How are you getting on?

I'm doing very well. A little cold, but can I say how amazing and crazy

this barge is. Look just above us. We have eight of the most glorious

bells that are going to be ringing out in celebration of the Jubilee.

They're just starting now. It's going to get very loud. Later on in

the pageant, I'm going to give a try at ringing the bells with these

guys, dick enson Dickon Love and his Team will be doing this. The

tunes are very difficult. I'll hand back to the studio because we are

now starting the river pageant, it's going to be amazing and it's a

day when we should all be proud to be British! Listen to the bells -

What a delight they are. Thanks ever so much, John.

Court of Appeal that is going to be, coming up on the Thames -- call to

peel. Angelica Bell is at one of the most famous Hospitals in the

world, St Thomas', and is hoping to meet some Jubilee babies born on

this historic weekend. Any news yet?

Lots of news. Hello and welcome to the Garden Room on the maternity

ward here. We are on the seventh floor directly opposite the Houses

of Parliament and has a spectacular view of the River Thames, as you

can see, and of the flotilla that will come by in an hour. St Thomas'

Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in the world and during

the reign of Queen Elizabeth, they have delivered 250,000 babies. This

is the perfect place to be to welcome in our Jubilee babies. We

have got a couple here recorded now. Eli here, he was six pounds seven.

Down here we have a baby girl, four pounds four ounces, so cute,

haven't got a name yet and I'm thinking Elizabeth might work. Over

here some new parents, Sian and Graham. Thank you so much for

talking to us. Who do we have her? Helena Molly Anne townsend. What

did she way? Seven pounds nine ounces. An hour old and you look

incredible. Well done mummy and daddy too. It's a great weekend to

have a baby isn't it the Unbelievable. We knew about this

facility here and it was amazing place and we were hoping we could

get here today. As it happens I thought it was game over on

Thursday, I got the call back to London, got here, it was a false

alarm. Anyway, at that stage, I asked Sian to cross her legs for

48-hours knowing we could hold off to get a great view of the pageant

today. Fantastic. Helena must have listened to you and done what she's

told. The only time she's ever going to pay any attention to her

father. We have a present for her here which says "I'm a Jubilee

Baby". Excellent. Come back to us and

hopefully we'll have some more arrivals, but bye for now.

Great! The Royal arrivals have happened, an Eli and baby girl with

no name. I love the fact that her husband asked her to cross her legs

so they could be here today. Can you imagine when you are out here!

There is an estimated 10,000 street parties and celebrations around the

country, Tess Daly is getting into the Jubilee spirit at Battersea

Park Festival, wonder if she's still jiving, the world's longest

jive if she is. Still jiving. Ooh. Thank you very much. That's why you

don't see me dancing much on Strictly Come Dancing! This

bandstand in Battersea Park is dedicated to the Coronation era. As

you can see, it's in full swing right now with music and dancing

from every decade since 19 52. There's so much happening here

today in the park to celebrate 60 years at the Queen's rule, with

music, fashion and food. Fabulous. There is a competition to blow the

world's tallest cake coming up. A rumage through vintage memorabilia

coming up too. It will be wonderful. I'll join the crowds hoping to

catch a glimpse of the Queen when she arrives at Cadogan Pier in a

few moments' time. We have a Bird's Eye view here so join us more. I'm

dancing! Bye! Fantastic.

Brilliant. OK, let's have a quick look out at

the river now. This is just fantastic. Albert Bridge. That is

the manpowered section you can just catch Gloriana and there's the

Belfry which will be leading the way. The bells already peeling out.

John Barrowman to the left. That's the Gloriana, that beautiful

boat built by Mark Edwards from Richmond who's built a few of these

boats actually, The Jubilant also and he did one for the Queen's

Golden Jubilee I think it was. A real master boat builder. I think

your dad is off to the left. About ten rows back. Dressed like

something out of Alice in Wonderland. When he's in vision,

We all know about the Royal Barge. On the boat that you just saw, the

Royal Row Barge, Gloriana, that has some precious cargo on it, indeed.

There's some very special people on there rowing. In the stroke

position, to the right-hand side, we have Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir

Matthew Pinsent. We also have a couple of Olympic silver medallists

behind them. Also, we have Clare Balding.

This is extraordinary. Gloriana, built especially for the Diamond

Jubilee, named in honour of Elizabeth I, built in honour of

Elizabeth II. Look at this, 18 rowers setting the pace for the

man-powered division. We have 260 boats in the man-powered. So Sir

Matthew Pinsent here setting the pace of four knots. We have Sir

Steve Redgrave over here. The tough thing for people as competitive as

this is to row steady. Four knots is the pace. We have ex-servicemen,

we have the guys who rowed naked across the Atlantic! I will be

trying to talk to a few of those. We have just passed the Queen on

the Royal Barge. This is the head I have to be honest, the two Sirs

are looking a bit puffed-out there! It truly is a beautiful craft. 90-

feet-long. The largest road vessel -- rowed vessel in the UK. That is

the view the Royal Party have got. Gloriana begins to creep past. A

lovely moment for all of those people on board. All the man-

powered craft begin to make their way past. The pageant is well and

Well, we can see the mass of boats moving down the river towards Tower

Bridge. A little bit further up from where we are, currently, as

the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh watch on, we have Chris Hollins

waiting for the first arrivals. Thank you very much, indeed. You

can probably sense and hear the crowd at Battersea Park behind me

as the man-powered section, led by the Gloriana, comes towards us. I

must say how windy it is down here on the River Thames. It will be

extremely hard work, not necessarily for Sir Steve Redgrave

and Sir Matthew Pinsent, but let's say for the less-qualified rowers

further behind. They have to be speeding along here at four knots

for 15 miles! It should be extremely hard work. We are getting

very excited as this glorious boat approaches us here. We can see the

colour, the splendour. It is a remarkable scene here. The crowds

have been waiting so long to see this in the damp and the cold. Now,

that glorious moment has arrived for them. A long way to go for some

of these rowers. I was talking to them earlier. They were looking

forward to it. This is the moment they have been training for for so

very long. At the top of the programme, we

showed you that wonderful picture by Canaletto and I guess these

pictures here are the BBC's Canaletto moment. These beautiful

craft just easing past The Spirit of Chartwell, on the left-hand side

In a few moments' time, we will be having all of these man-powered

craft, with their own special salute to the Queen on her day of

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

There really is smiles all round at Well, in amongst these man-powered

boats, is a chap called Ben Fogle. There he is. Can you hear us, Ben?

I can, thank you. It is an unbelievable feeling down here. We

are going past Her Majesty the Queen, The Spirit of Chartwell. It

is absolutely magnificent. I'm just doing my Royal Salute! Hip, hip,

hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! That's Garrison Sergeant

Major Bill Mott. Those people who remember Ben Fogle and James

Cracknell rowing the Atlantic. I'm so glad they have decided to put

Absolutely stunning pictures. You can certainly see... Hip, hip,

hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! I was about to say you can

certainly see how the wind has picked up. Then it struck me, you

certainly need a big voice to be a Garrison Sergeant Major! Bill Mott

The sight of all these boats takes you back a couple of hundred years,

really, when engines were a thing of the future and all power was

provided by the human form. Luckily, the Queen doesn't have to worry

about that today. You can just sit as a passenger and watch the world

go by. The banks of Battersea Park are packed. In the foreground there,

Ben Fogle. He looks very comfortable. He is a good all-round

sportsman. I think that's Blue Peter's Helen Skelton sitting

The five or six miles that Ben and his crew are rowing this time, a

far cry from that epic journey that he made a few years ago across the

Atlantic. Albert Bridge in the background. It's one of the most

beautiful bridges, especially in the evening when it's lit up.

Sometimes known as "the trembling lady" because of the tendency to

wobble, especially when troops from the nearby Chelsea Barracks go

Well, in case you are wondering what's happened to the Royal Barge,

it is still moored at Cadogan Pier. As soon as this section of boats

has moved past, the Royal Barge, The Spirit of Chartwell, will just

ease away from Cadogan Pier into the middle of the River Thames.

This is the first of all of the sections of boats that are involved

BELLS RING I am sure you can hear - there we

are - I was about to mention the bells. The Belfry heading up this

pageant here today. They will eventually end up as the Royal

Jubilee Bells in their new home at BAND PLAYS

We promised you a lot of fun. These guys and girls are certainly having

to do a lot of work. You have to say the atmosphere is a real

carnival atmosphere down on the River Thames and on the banks, too.

Indeed, on the Royal Barge, too. There are still many, many boats to

come. There's the Worcester Busters, one of the many dragonboats that

are in this first part of the pageant. I have a feeling that one,

all the paddlers there are all survivors of cancer. What a

beautiful shot. I did mention the number of medallists that were in

that boat. As well as Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent,

we have the sisters who won a silver medal in Sydney in 2000. The

Maori rowers there. Always look war-like. You would hate to play

rugby against them after seeing a Haka. I am promised they are all

The Spirit of Chartwell just being And some of the Venetians that are

It's so, so colourful out there today. Sometimes the River Thames

looks a bit grey, looks a bit dark and there's plenty of colour on

display here today. Just fabulous. So much response

from the crowds on the banks and bridges as well. People on their

balconies and flats and just all the way down you are hearing cheers

and seaing flags being waved. The make-up of this boat, both in terms

of the crew that are rowing it, all 18 people and the guests on board,

very much with the message of empowering those who're able-bodied

or disabled because we have injured servicemen on board here and

encouraging all of them to take to the water and feel the thrill of

this motion. In terms of this Royal rowing barge, glor glor, it was

years in conception, but it took I think if the Gloriana slows down,

somebody should get Clare to to a leg or two. 260 or so manpowered

boats. They've already gone past the Spirit of Chartwell, so won't

be too long before the Spirit of Chartwell undergoes her journey as

all the flags of the Commonwealth countries come past. All the boats

crewed by sea cadets from all over Certainly people in the parade

today from all over the world representing many, many parts of

We've obviously got a little problem. We'll catch up with Chris

a little later on as we just concentrate for a little longer on

the manpowered boats. There once again are the gondolas with the

Italian contingent. Beautiful boats aren't they? Always think they must

be devilishly difficult to steer. But these guys are doing a grand

job. One of the Maori canoes just on the far side there, the War

I think we've solved the problem, so we can now catch up with Chris

Hollins. Yes, thank you very much indeed. We

had a slight problem with the microphone, probably due to the

excitement. The majority of the manpower section going through

there, the remnants there as they power their way through, the

Venetian gondola just at the end bringing up the rear. But they are

working extremely hard. We had a couple of chats with some Indians

in the canoes making various noises but they said they might be out of

breath at the end. If they get out of breath, these guys will come

into action, the RNLI, cruising up and down the emergency lane. If

they can't keep up the pace of four knots, they'll just be dragged

along. They are on duty, concentrating all the time, and

we'll monitor them and the Port of London Authority, as they just help

this fantastic sight, the flotilla of boats, make their way up the

river. It's fantastic. I hope you The Queen certainly waiting

patiently for the Spirit of Chartwell to move out to join its

Boris Johnson once again elected as Mayor of London enjoying himself,

as he tends to do on these occasions. Also the Lord Mayor of

the City of London standing to the right hand side. Of course, the

Lord Mayor's pageant every year is another great spectacle in London

that we can look forward to later on this year.

One of the last occasions when pictures came from the River Thames

some years ago now was the funeral of a great statesman, Sir Winston

Churchill. It was this boat that brought his coffin down the River

Thames. On that occasion, I remember the crowds were absolutely

immense. That is Trinity no 1 Bot, Master of the Trinity House. Vice

Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence there. And the barge finally moves away from

the pier to begin her journey five miles or so down the river, to pass

some amazing landmarks. Princess Anne's boat will form part of the

squadron of vessels that will be The organisers have done an

absolutely magnificent job, not just on the sprirt of Chartwell but

on the whole day so far the Royal Barge moving out into the centre of

the river where it will join the flotilla of boats. We just saw a

glimpse there of all the heralds which will just move ahead of the

Royal Barge. The flags of the Commonwealth just

ahead of them. I've got a feeling Trinity no 1 with Princess Anne is

They're just about there in terms of the Royal Barge moving forwards.

The Duke of Edinburgh certainly seems to be enjoying himself here

As the Connaught moves ahead of the Absolute precision as the Royal

Barge slots into line just behind the four boats that are in front of

The Middleton family present, two thirds of the way on the left hand

side there, Pippa Middleton, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge.

They're on board the Elizabethan. Mrs Carol Middleton there in the

cream top and skirt. Her husband standing too to the right hand side

away from her along with sister of the Duchess, Pippa, and the brother

Certainly the manpowered boats have I suppose this is one of the

occasions where you really have to be there to just soak up the

atmosphere and understand what it means to all the spectators. The

atmosphere on the banks and on the bridges, absolutely electric.

I tell you, Thousands of people standing here on the river banks

behind us. They are not seeing these pictures, they have no idea

what is heading their way. This is where it will all finish in about

an hour and a quarter up at Tower Bridge. Extraordinary scenes. If

you are not sure what to expect, this is the order the flotilla will

follow. The Royal Jubilee Bells is the first of ten music barges

making each of the sections of boats taking part in this

procession. That's where John Barrowman is, we saw him earlier

having a go at rigging that. Following that, the Gloriana and

behind her, the 250 row boats which are actings a the pace setters for

the flotilla. Then there are kayaks and dragon boats, as well as other

boats in the man-powered section. Flags of the Commonwealth then and

the Royal section headed by the Royal Barge carrying the Queen, the

Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family. Behind them,

we haven't seen much of them yet, but we'll find the Dunkirk litp

ships and other historic vessels which make up the biggest

collection of historic boats ever to assemble on the River Thames.

Then time for the service botss that work on the river on a daily

basis -- boats. Steam and working vessels, leisure, recreation,

motorboats, narrow boats and barges and then the passenger boats. And

bringing it all up at the tail end of this huge procession, 1,000

vessels is the London Philharmonic Orchestra who will be entertaining

us all along the way marking the end of the pageant when they

finally arrive here at Tower Bridge. Amazing. Thankfully they haven't

played singing in the rain just yet. All the umbrellas are down, I think

we are OK, the rain is holding off. A bit too much rain and wind for my

liking for the rowers. Back to Battersea Park, Tess Daly

is there soaking up the atmosphere at a huge party.

We are all very excited here because we've just this moment seen

the Queen going by. Brilliant. Lots of whooping and hollering over

here. The last time that Battersea Park saw an event like this was in

1951 for the Festival of Britain when the park was turned into a

pleasure garden. Margaret and Fred you were here in 1951, you are here

today, it must be a very special day for you both? It is, it's very

special to be back here. Seeing the Queen again? I didn't see the Queen,

I must admit last time, I saw a beautiful festival, but I didn't

see the Queen. Fred, does it bring back special memories for you back

here today Absolutely. It was a brilliant time, 1951, the war just

finished a few years and everybody was really happy. Everyone was

celebrating the end of austerity weren't they? Yes. And we have

found an MBE. Why are you an MBE? For services to the Lord's justices,

I work at the law courts. I believe you met the Queen not once but

twice. How was that? Oh, delightful, an occasion never to be forgotten.

Did you have a little chat? I did indeed. Shake hands? Yes and it was

lovely. Congratulations. And Harold, I believe you are celebrating the

diversity of the Commonwealth today. You look fabulous. Thank you very

much, so do you. We have another artist, we are doing Commonwealth

Queen make-overs. There's a bee on you. So we are transforming people

into different Commonwealth and Caribbean and African Queens,

Indian Princesses. We are doing that all day in the park. I'll make

Weiwei over for a make-over later. It would be great to transform you.

And an Italian lady, what are you doing here? I love this country,

married an Englishman and aisle here to celebrate with everybody

else. This is a piece of history, the Coronation was great, I have

memorabilia from that. Look at that. Genuine vintage ribbon from 19 52?

As you can see. Head-to-toe, you look gorgeous. Today is a

celebration of British culture here at the Diamond Jubilee Festival and

the Queen is a huge part of that. Thank you. I can't believe how well

The Spirit of Chartwell moved up. We will go back down into the

action to see Clare Balding on the Gloriana.

We have Will Dixon here. He has rowed the Atlantic, 3,000 miles of

it. Will, how much of an honour is it to have been invited to row on

board Gloriana? Incredible. We would have been very surprised to

be leading on Gloriana. It is an inspiring crew to be part of. A

couple of old duffers at the front! A real mix of individuals and

stories on board. The man who won his fifth gold medal, he is

stroking the boat. How is it feeling? Really good. Amazing

crowds. I have rowed in some big crowds before, but not into the

millions, as it is here. In terms of things you have done, where does

this rank? Very special. It is right up there. As long as we get

there first! We are trying not to race. It is a fantastic honour.

When I was asked to put a crew together, all my first choices came

forward. Everyone was really excited. Were you the chief

selector? Sort of, yes. Lord Stirling was the guy that's in

charge. I was blown away when I saw the boat in its shell form. To see

it now, it is unbelievable! It is a beautiful rowing barge. It has such

a great atmosphere on board. All of them putting in a fair bit of

effort. Look at Sir Matthew Pinsent, a man who once had the most lung

capacity of any athlete, didn't you? That was some record. It was

all right. I'm using a bit of it now! Keeping you warm? That is

right. You are setting a beautiful pace. Gloriana making its way down

the river. We can start to see the London Eye. A magnificent sight.

Clare, they are making it look so easy. It looks fantastic. The River

Thames was not only a busy route for river traffic, but it is also a

source of artistic inspiration. John Sergeant can tell us more.

That's right. We have got the audience. CHEERING It's a terrific

show. These Royal occasions have a great theatrical side to them. I

have invited along one of our great actors, Richard E Grant. He is

dressed for the occasion. What have you got on? I have a Union Jack tie.

My belt. Yeah? My Union Jack socks and my underwear! Shall I reveal

that Richard E Grant is wearing special Royal underpants? I am,

indeed. OK. Here we are. Tell us why you are so keen to be dressed

for the part? I grew up in Swaziland. This is the perfect

place for me to be. We are looking at a theatrical occasion? We are.

Incredible. It is about the biggest you could wish for. We can see the

beginning of what is going to be the 1,000 ships that are going to

come past here. That is quite a moment? Yes. Bigger than Strictly

Come Dancing for you! We have got - the river has so many artistic

associations. Shakespeare's Globe... The Red Light District! Over there

is where Charles Dickens worked as a young boy. It was. So the Thames,

really, it runs through the English story all the time, the British

story? It does. Yeah. You are going to talk to us about Wordsworth?

am. In 1802, he crossed this bridge and wrote a poem. You have that

poem? I do. Off you go. Here we go.

Earth has not anything to show more fair.

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by.

A sight so touching in its majesty. This City now doth like a garment

wear. The beauty of the morning: silent,

bare. Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and

temples lie. Open unto the fields, and to the

sky. All bright and glittering in the

smokeless air. Never did sun more beautifully

steep. In his first splendour valley, rock,

or hill. Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so

deep! The river glideth at his own sweet

will. Dear God! The very houses seem

asleep. And all that mighty heart is lying

still! Well done. Thank you very much. APPLAUSE

The Royal Barge continuing on its way. I have to say those two, they

are almost like mini thrones, not getting a lot of use by the Queen,

or by the Duke of Edinburgh. The wind blowing across the bows of the

boat. That, presumably, will mean steering is an issue for something

as long as this boat. Somewhere on that boat as well is the owner of

The Spirit of Chartwell, along with his daughter, Mr Philip Morrell and

his daughter, Kim. Along with the ten watermen and the Queen's Barge

Master, Paul Ludwig. He must be a The Prince of Wales on the left-

hand side. The Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Cambridge waving, along

with Prince Harry. Good to see the Pageant Master looking quite

relaxed as he talks to Prince Charles. I am sure he is delighted

with the way things have turned out today. That gives you a good idea

as well as to how much preparation - many, many people undertook to

get this barge looking its best and they have certainly done a great

A big wave from the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Cambridge

as well. The Queen went below deck on The Spirit of Chartwell a short

time ago. It is an extraordinary barge. I went on it a couple of

weeks ago. The transformation has been done by a film-set designer.

Below deck has been made to look like the inside of the Orient

Express. You feel like you are on a train but on the water! She has 60

people down there being served drinks... It is a floating palace.

It is. We are seeing so many boats. Let's go to one with a bit of

character. Mishal Husain is on a working tug boat that's made its

way from Yorkshire and it was quite a journey. Can you hear us?

Yes, this is the working boat section of the flotilla. So some

noisy vessels around me. Steamboats and tugs. I am on a tug. This is

The Wheldale, a coal tug. It was built in 1959. It had the job of

pulling pans of coal from the mines to the docks. Never a vessel that

was designed for long journeys. Yet, it's made a really remarkable sea

journey to get here today. It's gone along the Humber and 300 miles

down the coast to make it to the Thames. Its skipper is with me now.

What was the journey like? It was beautiful. She is only a little

canal boat, really. We got four days in the weather. That is how

long it took us. You must have wondered whether she was up to the

task? Very much so. We had quite a few critics and people who said we

wouldn't get here. We have done a lot of work on her. She's built

heavy. She is part of Britain's coal mining heritage, isn't she?

She lives in a museum in Goole? That's it. We weren't down the pits,

but my dad, my granddad, they all used these. They brought the coal

down. It went into the ships at Goole and at Hull. We have done it

for the North. And the White Rose of Yorkshire is decked out across

the boat. Also here is your mum. Eileen, this is very much part of

your family, isn't it, this kind of boat? Yes. Most of the tugs were

run by families, fathers, sons, uncles. They all worked on the Tom

Puddings, as it was known as. This boat goes back 50-odd years.

Amazing. To do this is fantastic. I did the Queen's Coronation street

parties. You are soaking up the atmosphere? Absolutely. Amazing, it

is. The cheering crowds on the sides, we can hear all the cheering.

It is just wonderful. Eileen, Chris, I hope we can speak to you later.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. No doubt Chris's dad will be

watching with a lump in his throat. He couldn't just quite get here.

know. Let's look on the river. There are some wonderful shots of

The Belfry. There is Westminster Bridge. They are all heading that

way. There is The Belfry. A bell for each of the senior Royals. The

biggest for the Queen. On board is John Barrowman who is helping them

ring the bells. Those bells being answered as they make their way

along the shore. It is so important to keep that rhythm when you are

ringing the bells. It must be hard, once you are on the water, to keep

it going. They are doing a good job. The crowds are... The man-powered

section, they are keeping up. They have to keep a good pace. They

really have to lead the way here. Four knots they have been told to

row at. That is fast walking pace, I think. Can you imagine being in

that? The spirit that's carrying you along. You may think, "My arms

are a bit tired" but the atmosphere is certainly pushing them along.

There is the Gloriana. Let's go from the Gloriana to Anneka Rice

who is with a party of artists. They are getting ready for the

first sighting of the first boats at the Millennium Bridge. Hello,

again. We are having such a brilliant time here. This bridge is

getting very busy. We are at the Millennium Bridge. We are calling

it the Arts and Crafts Bridge today. I'm here with 20 painters. Come and

tell me what you are up to. going for energy of the event. I'm

trying to translate that with colour. Turner, you love? I do.

is very exciting. They are going to be arriving shortly. You are

painting on a door, which is brilliant. All the artists have

chosen very, very different styles here. What are you doing with the

I am using a door because it symbolises the role that the Queen

has played in the emancipation of women in the UK and in Commonwealth

countries. She has opened many doors, which in previous decades

would not have been possible. is brilliant, I love the way he

uses materials he finds on the riverbank. Gillian, you are working

on an iPad off. I am the oldest on the bridge, and I wanted something

funky to do it on. I'm hoping to catch the Queen as she comes down,

because she does such a wonderful job. We are building up to the big

The Palace of Westminster on the left-hand side, slightly more

modern iconic view of the London Eye on the right hand side there.

As the flotilla heads towards Westminster Bridge, and that is

roughly where the Queen is right Let's just have a look. Those of

you who joined us right at the beginning of the programme would

have heard Huw Edwards described the course down which all of these

boats are going to follow, and that is where the Queen is at the moment.

Past Battersea Power Station. So these people making very steady

progress indeed, and luckily so far Pass so many iconic landmarks that

Little London. We are so fortunate to have such magnificent buildings,

churches of course as well, government buildings and the rest,

scattered throughout London. A lot of them overlook the river Thames,

a different view of the Palace of Westminster, the background and the

London Eye. One of those pods, I think there are 32 on the London

Eye, and one of them is serving cream teas to all of the people who

are trying to get a much better That is the boat which the Duchess

of Cambridge's parents and brother That, I think, was the swan up

those that we just saw in the picture a moment ago. That is Ben

Fogle running pretty well, still smiling, plenty of energy left. He

Well, back at Chelsea, some of the public service craft just moving

past, moving up towards Cadogan Pier, and they are certainly going

to be one of the features this afternoon, the fire bodes saluting

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

Well, so many photographs will be taken of what is going to be a very

And the bells, complete with John Barrowman on board, I hope he has

got some earplugs, because they have been going ever since we saw

And there will be peals of bells heard not just in London but all

over the country, as we mentioned at the top of the programme, too.

This certainly is a Canaletto moment, isn't it? So many iconic

buildings flanking this mass of vessels, all powered by the human

arm, shoulder, back and legs. Just looking down the pageant, we then

come to the flags of the Commonwealth, and the Trinity 500s,

they are called, from sea cadets Back to the Royal squadron, the

most magnificent boat on display here today. As you can see, the

tower of the Palace of Westminster on the left-hand side of the screen

just ahead as we head down towards And this is the first opportunity

we have really had to see the Dunkirk Little Ships, there are

about 40 or 50 of their there today behind the Royal Squadron, and boy,

oh boy, have they put some service in! On behalf of everybody in the

United Kingdom. Then can the Each of the ships, or each of the

Saxons of ships, should I say, is preceded by a group of musicians,

to. -- sections. They will certainly be earning their money

today, playing music for the way So the working boats and the Fire

boats we saw before now passing Cadogan Pier, recreational motor

boats, leisure boats, too. A lot of Well, this is where we are all

going to end up, as we here one of the salutes to the Queen that have

happened over the last two days. Just outside the Tower of London,

part of a 41 gun salute, followed by a special summit by the

The Royal barge there just going underneath Lambeth Bridge, so the

next target will be Westminster There are so many churches, of

course, close to the banks of the River Thames and so many bells can

be heard, as well as the bells that are already on the river and they

The Palace of Westminster, and in the Clock Tower there, of course,

Big Ben, the bell which strikes the hour, created in the same foundry

that created the bells on the river Yes, thanks very much, you just

join us here at Vauxhall Bridge. We have got the band going past us on

the left-hand side, and crowds behind me at the MI6 building just

waiting to see the historic boats who are just about to come under

the Vauxhall Bridge. Amongst them, of course, the Dunkirk Little Ships,

part of Operation Dynamo when the United Kingdom, the allied forces

were in such desperate need for help, and they are part are a

fantastic society that makes annual trips to Dunkirk. I went on board

as part of the scrutiny during process earlier this week, and they

are all in such fantastic shape. They worked so hard on them, and as

you can see, they are all receiving a warm welcome from the crowds

behind us. If you can see behind me, up into these flats behind me,

flags flying everywhere, everywhere just trying to get a glimpse of the

river and all these wonderful boats making their way down as part of

this pageant. As you can see, a few of the little ships making their

way through now, just under Vauxhall Bridge. An update, we did

have one little gentleman in his Venetian gondola was struggling a

little bit, and one of the marshals gave a NATO, so far no worries to

report. Look at the crowd behind me, just all waving away, really

enjoying the whole occasion here. And as we can see, the little ships

just coming through, so I will hand Well, the wind just picking up now,

drops of rain starting to fall, but still so much... Particularly here

on Gloriana, this bird very much inspired by the mind and the money

of Lord Sterling, who is with me now. What did you want to achieve

with Gloriana? I think it says it all today. You look at the crowds,

the people on board, the marvellous bunch of oarsmen that we have. It

says it, and in practice I think we created it as a lasting legacy, and

basically inspired by the great Canalettos and the National

Maritime Museum, if you see what is happening there, see all about it

at the Great Exhibition, it is all about pageantry and the Thames and

what it is all about through history. I have his say that if we

can have the opportunity of lifting people's interest in the Thames,

and for youngsters to have the opportunity of growing up, then we

will have done something in the years to come. There are so many

young faces are on the boats, the bridges, on the banks of the river,

high-pitched voices screaming out as we come by, and it is just a

wonderful, wonderful feeling, and we are certainly not going to let a

few spots of rain dampened our enthusiasm, not on Gloriana at any

rate, not for the whole of this river pageant. It is a fabulous

Well, it is a fantastic scene here, look at that, just look at it.

There is the Spirit of Chartwell, what we now know as the Royal barge,

and we can just see the Queen, and we can see everything. I have to

say that we will probably see more this evening when we watch it all

on television, but that is a terrific sight, and you have got

all these boats behind, coming up later on. The cheering and the

crowd... We have been cheering pictures are the big screen on the

other side of the bridge, there is any excuse for cheering, like now,

come on! We are all raring to go, all we want to do is cheer, come on,

hurray, hurray, hurray! It is a wonderful atmosphere, and the whole

bridge, you can imagine it, the whole of the bridge from one side

to the other is covered with people, and we are just having a good time,

it is a simple, straightforward, And there are the Commonwealth

lives. I have to say, at the pageant is pretty much spread out.

Princess Eugenie there with her The Duke of York.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

The rest of the Royal Family making I'm standing on a Dutch barge,