Queen basks in Jubilee 'delight'

About 75 tons of rubbish is being cleared from the Mall

The Queen is said to be basking in ''absolute delight'' in the aftermath of four days of spectacular celebrations to mark her Golden Jubilee.

Lord Sterling, chairman of the Golden Jubilee Weekend Trust, said: "The Queen was absolutely sparkling - I think they all were. She was in a splendid mood."

The Queen is taking a day off before continuing with her Jubilee tour.

A vast clean-up operation immediately swung into operation at the end of the four-day holiday.

Council workers worked through the night to clear away tonnes of rubbish in the parks and streets around Buckingham Palace.

And extra royal staff were drafted in to clear the palace grounds in time for the changing of the guard on Wednesday.

Brought together

Most analysts and commentators have agreed that the weekend's celebrations were a great success, surpassing all expectations.

Support for the Queen's weekend surpassed all expectations

The Archbishop of Westminster Cormac Murphy-O'Connor said the event had brought the country together in a display of public affection for the Queen.

The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What made it especially marvellous was the fact that it was so inclusive of just everyone, young and old, and the diversity of peoples in this country."

Two million people were around Buckingham Palace for the main celebrations on Monday and Tuesday, police have confirmed.

The Queen was absolutely sparkling - I think they all were

Lord Sterling

Workers then toiled to remove 75 tonnes of rubbish, including 50,000 empty bottles of champagne.

The national celebrations saw two concerts in the Palace grounds, a spectacular firework display, a worldwide chain of beacons, thousands of street parties, and plenty of royal ceremonial.

On Tuesday the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh rode in the Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral for a thanksgiving service.

They then watched several different parades in the Mall.

Two million enjoyed the London festivities over two days

About 20,000 performers from Britain and the Commonwealth took part in a colourful and diverse parade, followed by a cavalcade of floats.

A million well-wishers gathered in central London, packing the Mall and nearby parks for the finale on Tuesday evening, which ended with a flypast of Concorde and the Red Arrows.

Grand procession

The Queen, Prince Philip and senior members of the Royal Family greeted the people on the balcony at the palace as the crowd sang a series of patriotic songs.

Buckingham Palace has said it was "extremely pleased'' with the celebrations.

The Queen also received a unique tribute from New York where the Empire State Building was lit in regal purple and gold.

The building's tower lights are usually lit only in honour of American holidays, landmark New York City events or the Independence Day celebrations.

Concorde and the Red Arrows thrilled the crowds

The last non-American person to receive a similar honour was Nelson Mandela, during a visit to New York in 1990.

The US tribute followed the Queen's order that the US national anthem should be played at the changing of the guards two days after the 11 September attacks.

The Queen will continue her Jubilee tour of Britain on Thursday.

She will begin in down-to-earth fashion with a visit to Willesden Bus Garage in north-west London, followed by lunch and a visit to a Hindu temple. She will then continue her tour in Wales next week.