Royal fever gripped Britain today, the first of four days of parties, concerts and fireworks celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 50 years on the throne.
After days of bad weather, most of Britain was bathed in golden sunshine, creating the perfect mood for a classical concert at Buckingham Palace in the evening.
Lord Stirling, chairman of the Golden Jubilee Weekend Trust which organised the royal celebrations, said he couldn't predict how many would turn out but he was expecting huge crowds.
"I think the spirit out there to celebrate this great lady's fifty years is absolutely marvellous", he told the BBC.
Huge crowds are expected to gather in central London parks to watch the Buckingham Palace concert, featuring performances by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa and Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, relayed on giant screens.
That concert, and a star-studded pop concert at the palace on Monday, will be attended by the royal family and 12,000 members of the public who won a ballot for tickets.
For many there will be only a brief respite between Saturday night's royal celebrations and Sunday's 10.30 a.m. kickoff as England's football team take on Sweden in Japan.