The Queen has lit a beacon of light at Windsor castle to mark her platinum jubilee.
The lighting of the Commonwealth Globe of Nations forms part of special dual ceremony with Her Majesty's grandson the Duke of Cambridge, who is respresenting the monarch at Buckingham Palace some 20 miles away.
At the Queen's command, the Tree of Trees sculpture, London's centrepiece of the jubilee, will light up outside the palace.
The ceremony on Thursday evening was part of a busy four days for the Queen. Earlier the palace announced the monarch will miss the jubilee service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday “with great reluctance” after having experienced “some discomfort” during Thursday’s celebrations.
She is believed to have experienced episodic mobility issues during her appearance on the palace balcony with her family to salute soldiers returning from the Trooping the Colour ceremony.
Thousands of people joined street parties across the UK today, while the royals observed the ceremony on The Mall, followed by a flypast over Buckingham Palace.
