Colin Thackery was crowned the winner of Britain's Got Talent this evening.
The much-loved Chelsea pensioner, 89, was favourite to win the competition and wowed viewers with his tear-jerker performance during tonight's finale.
His dream of performing in front of the Royal Family will now come true after serving in the military for 25 years.
He managed to beat the other 10 acts to win £250,000 and bag a spot on the Royal Variety Performance.
Asked by hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly how he felt after winning the show, he said: "Astonished, incredible. I'm stuck for words for a change!"
He added: "Thank you very much, all of you. Fantastic."
X, who was earlier this evening unveiled as 2018 golden buzzer winner Marc Spelmann, said that it felt "amazing" to be the runner-up.
He said: "To come second to someone like Colin, who has given his life for us ... I bow to him.
"Deepest respect. I absolutely love the man. He deserves to win."
Tonight, Colin sang Love Changes Everything from the musical Aspects of Love, by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
After his performance, David Walliams said: “What a magic moment you have created on this show. I think tonight you are unbeatable.”
Simon Cowell said: “Everything that you stand for you have genuinely my utmost respect. I salute you.”
Asked what it would be like to win the competition, he said: "I served my Queen for 25 years and to think I'd sing to her would be amazing... I could die happy."
Magician Ben Hart came second in the competition.
Also competing in the competition tonight were Libby and Charlie, X, Jonathan Goodwin, Flakefleet Primary School choir, Dave & Finn, Ben Hart and Mark McMullan all competed tonight in a bid to win the show.
Colin said that he would be making a large donation to Royal Hospital Chelsea from his 250K winnings.
His son Peter told the Mirror that singing to the Queen would mean "so much" to his father.
He said: "Dad joined the Army so young and is one of the few boy soldiers left alive from that period. Performing for royalty would mean so much to him. He says how it would be just wonderful singing for them.
"The Army was very good to my dad and he loves the Army. He had a difficult East End background – money was tight, it was wartime and he didn’t have the best education. The Army was mother, father and sister to him."
The grandfather of four previously reduced audiences to tears with his renditions of Wind Beneath My Wings and We’ll Meet Again, sung in tribute to his late wife Joan – Peter’s mum – who died from breast cancer in 2016.
Backed by a choir of Chelsea Pensioners, Colin sang the Vera Lynn classic, before a backdrop of photos showing him with Joan during their happy 66-year marriage.
Colin's hearing was permanently damaged after an explosion overhead during his time in the infantry.
He also has reduced mobility thanks to suffering frostbite in Korea, which resulted in lymphedema.
Colin’s talent for singing blossomed during his years in the Royal Artillery’s 45th Regiment in Korea and Hong Kong. Peter explained: “All boy soldiers were taught to play an instrument in training.
“Dad learned the bugle and drum, then started singing along and got involved in bands.”
