Forces stage Jubilee display

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen arrived by helicopter at Whale Island.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, escorted her as she inspected a guard of honour at the parade ground.

Then the Queen sat in a purpose-built arena to watch the military display carried out on land, sea and in the air.

Giant video

It began with an RAF flypast with aircraft in the formation of the "EIIR" cypher.

The Royal Navy, Army and RAF then enacted a series of military manoeuvres using combat troops, frogmen, tanks and a missile launcher.

A make-believe war in "Whalonia" was fought between British troops and rebels with eastern European accents.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh looked on with interest as the war games, which featured BBC correspondent Kate Adie as a television reporter, were played out.

The Queen met the members of the forces who took part in the displays.

Major Philip Ashton-Johnson, who helped put on the displays, said: "I think it is a bit of theatre, obviously.

"But, nevertheless, the way they go about their task is part of the textbook training."

He said the event took 18 months to develop

Royal salute

It was carried out on an aircraft strip made out of matting, which was last used during the Falklands conflict in 1982.

After lunch the Queen boarded the flagship of the fleet, HMS Ark Royal to watch a simulated naval battle.

It included air to sea battles with planes and helicopters involved along with battleships.

The royal couple then transferred to HMS Bangor to sail to Gunwharf in Portsmouth Naval Base for a royal gun salute from HMS Cornwall, and to watch a helicopter and fixed-wing flypast which included dramatic flying from the Red Arrows.

The displays cost more than £1m and were designed to show the way British forces fight wars and undertake peacekeeping activities.