BRITAIN: Britions held street parties and parades across the country yesterday to mark Queen Elizabeth's 50th year on the throne in a show of affection for the 76-year-old monarch which has taken many by surprise.
An extended golden jubilee weekend hits a highnote with an evening pop concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, the queen's London residence, where 12,000 lucky fans will join the monarch and other royals.
The palace was briefly evacuated yesterday when a fire broke out in the west wing, interrupting preparations for the musical extravaganza but organisers said the show will go on.
From Cardiff in Wales to Warrington in north-west England and Windsor Castle outside London large crowds gathered to celebrate the jubilee, often braving heavy rains to do so.
Small pockets of London were festooned in Union Jack flags and pictures of the queen as locals gathered for parties which echoed similar events held for the silver jubilee 25 years ago.
While numbers were smaller and attitudes less reverential than in 1977, the response to jubilee year has heartened a royal family beset by scandal and tragedy in recent years.
"We are holding this event so that the kids know about their history and remember it," said Mr Michael Jackson (46), organiser of a party in London's East End.
"If we haven't got the queen then we have not got anything in this country," he added, as the finishing touches were put to a flag-covered stage outside a local pub.
The royals have a special place with East End residents after the late Queen Mother's stoicism during the German bombing of the capital in the second World War.
Thousands of people waving flags lined the streets of Windsor, site of Windsor Castle, the royal residence just west of London, to watch a parade marching past the queen.
The monarch, wearing a green suit and hat, smiled and waved as bands and other acts filed past her.
She was travelling back to the capital later in the day to attend the pop concert featuring superstar acts including the former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, Latino heartthrob Ricky Martin and soul diva Aretha Franklin.
The head of the royal family was due to light the last of nearly 2,000 beacons from Lands End to John O'Groats and Antarctica to Zambia to celebrate her reign and then watch three tonnes of fireworks being set off from the roof of the palace.
Earlier in the day she inaugurated a national music festival to celebrate the rich variety of cultures not just across Britain but throughout the 54-nation Commonwealth.
The jubilee gala continues today with pomp and pageantry as the queen travels from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral in a gilded carriage, and winds up with a balcony appearance at the palace.
The queen's 50th anniversary celebrations have brought a wave of nostalgia in Britain as people look back over the five decades she has ruled, and have also deepened affection for her.
Already this year she has had to bury first her younger sister, Princess Margaret, and then her 101-year-old mother.
The long lines of people who queued to pay their last respects to the much-loved Queen Mother bore witness to strong support for the royalty, defying predictions that affections had cooled and that the jubilee celebrations would be a flop.
A poll in the Mail on Sunday newspaper said the queen was the most respected figure in Britain, showing that her popularity has recovered strongly from the negative reaction to her apparent coldness after the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
Her son, Prince Andrew, paid tribute to his mother yesterday.
"She is the most fantastic mother - has been and always will be - and as our monarch we are completely devoted to her," he told BBC television. - (Reuters)