River Thames Pageant Marks British Queen's Diamond Jubilee

The Queen and other members of the royal family travelling on board the Spirit of Chartwell royal barge. Photo by EPA

Britain has celebrated Queen Elizabeth II with a pageant on the River Thames that included a total of 1,000 boats, including one vessel carrying the Queen herself.

The event started with the ringing of Jubilee bells at 2:40 local time and finished at about  5:30 after the last vessel completed the route from Albert Bridge to Tower Bridge.

Vessels taking part included steam and rowing boats, tugs, barges and traditional sailing vessels.

The Queen, dressed in a white hat and a silver and white coat, was taken to her barge on the launch of the now-decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia after being greeted by a spontaneous rendition of the national anthem from the crowds, BBC informs.

The Central Weekend to celebrate The Queen's Diamond Jubilee takes place from Saturday 2 June to Tuesday 5 June 2012, with celebratory activities throughout the UK and in many countries across the world.

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