LONDON — That's it for tonight on the third day of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, at the end of a spectacular, star-studded concert outside Buckingham Palace. In case you missed it...
-- Tens of thousands of people lined The Mall to watch the show as fireworks and lights lit up the queen's iconic residence in central London.
-- World superstars including Paul McCartney, Elton John and Cliff Richard paid tribute to the queen alongside younger British artists, in a programme representing all the decades of her 60-year reign.
-- The event closed with some words of thanks from Prince Charles to his "inspiring" mother, and the lighting of a beacon by the queen herself, followed by a final display of fireworks. LIVE REPORT ENDS.
2204 GMT: AFP's Guy Jackson gives his verdict as the crowds disperse: "A great show, nothing too risque to upset traditionalists, but some huge performances from big stars and spectacular fireworks. What a pity the queen could not enjoy it with Prince Philip."
2150 GMT: A grandiose display of fireworks over the palace brings the whole spectacular event to a close as the flame burns from the centre of the stage.
The beacon is the last of more than 4,000 being lit across Britain and the Commonwealth to mark the royal occasion.
2146 GMT: A huge Union Jack is projected on to Buckingham Palace as the crowd sing God Save the Queen. And in a grand finale the queen takes a symbolic diamond and lights the "National Beacon" on The Mall.
2145 GMT: Charles goes on to talk about how a diamond jubilee is "a unique and special event", adding: "Some of us have had the joy of celebrating three jubilees with you and I have the medals to prove it and we are now celebrating the life and service of a very special person over the last 60 years."
He thanks the queen for "inspiring us with your selfless duty and service and for making us proud to be British"..."Proud to be part of something as unique as the Common wealth".
He ends by offering the queen "our humble duty and with it three resounding cheers"...
2141 GMT: Addressing the queen, Charles continues: "Millions we are told dream of having tea with you. Quite a lot of people have very nearly had a picnic dinner with you in the garden.
"The only sad thing about this evening is that my father couldn't be here with us because unfortunately he is taken unwell, but if we shout loud enough he might just hear us in hospital."
The crowd chant "Philip, Philip", in support of the Duke of Edinburgh who was taken into hospital earlier with a bladder infection.
2235 GMT: QUEEN ARRIVES ON STAGE. She's joined by Prince Charles -- with his wife Camilla -- who begins by saying: "Your Majesty...mummy", prompting a ripple of laughter.
"I'm sure you'd want me to thank on your behalf all the wonderful people who have made tonight and above all, ifI may say so your majesty, thank god the weather turned out fine." Queen smiles broadly. "And the reason of course is because I didn't do the forecast," he quips.
2134 GMT: Flames spurt and fireworks are launched for a fantastic rendition of "Live and Let Die". That's followed by a jolly bout of "Ob-La-Di" to round up McCartney's set.
2126 GMT: A quick taster from Sir Paul of Beatles hit "Magical Mystery Tour" before he launches into "All my Loving". It just wouldn't be British without a Beatles medley would it> "Let it Be" follows, with thousands of voices joining in.
2122 GMT: A portly beefeater takes to the stage in the form of comedian Peter Kay. He plays "We are Family" on a tape recorder and introduces the headlining act of the night...PAUL MCCARTNEY...
2120 GMT: The fantastic projections are also being shown on the screens along The Mall where host Lee Mack says there are some 250,000 people watching the show.
2118 GMT: Below the band there's a lavish light display, featuring hearts beamed onto the palace walls as they sing "Must Be Love". During "Our House" they had different characters in each room projected onto the front of the building.
The performance harks back to former "Queen" guitarist Brian May's 2002 rooftop performance for the queen's golden jubilee concert.
2110 GMT: The action has just moved to the roof of the palace, where iconic British band Madness are singing "Our House".
They finish up singing "Our house in the middle of one's street" -- to sighs from the crowd.
2109 GMT: Stevie Wonder isn't British or from the Commonwealth but the crowd don't care and he's getting a great reception, notes Guy from Buck Palace. The queen seems to be getting into it too now, clapping along to "Superstition" from the royal box.
A small correction about the timing of the beacon-lighting -- it's not until 21:30 GMT, so there's a bit more to come yet...
2104 GMT: Wonder's joined on stage by Will.i.am for...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, of course.
2103 GMT: Dressed in his trademark black jacket and dark glasses and sat at the keys, the pop legend kicks off his medley with the classic "Sir Duke" before breaking into "Isn't She Lovely".
2059 GMT: Building up to another big one now... STEVIE WONDER.
2054 GMT: Rolf Harris pays a warm tribute to the queen and then huge screens behind the stage show a moving montage of the queen's life and reign to the soundtrack of U2's "Beautiful Day".
2050 GMT: It's chilly at the concert now as it gets dark. But still a lot warmer -- and drier -- than Sunday's river pageant, says Guy Jackson. There's only 10 minutes to go until the queen is due to light the beacon, in the climax to the concert. But one or two key figures still haven't performed...
2044 GMT: "Crocodile Rock" next. Crowd are loving it and joining in the "la la la's".
2042 GMT: Elton John -- another performer who has been knighted -- is no stranger to royal occasions, having famously played at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. This is a far happier event -- and he seems to be enjoying himself just two weeks after he was hospitalised in the US.
He congratulates the queen on her 60 years on the throne before launching into a pacy rendition of "Your Song". Clearly they've all been told not to hang about....
2038 GMT: Elton romps through "I'm Still Standing".
"Only he could get away with that pink, sparkly frock coat," says AFP's Guy Jackson. "And we're getting a remarkable light show on the palace too."
2035 GMT: And now for the big stars... ELTON JOHN....
2034 GMT: Comedian Jimmy Carr reflects that in 14 years' time the queen will be sending herself a telegram. Then Alfie Boe and Renee Fleming perform "Somewhere" on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
2032 GMT: Lots of support for Kylie on Twitter. "Best legs of the night", tweets Piers Morgan.
"Kylie has basically blown us away. Top outfit, top voice and she's so smiley. In short we love her," posts OK! Magazine.
2026 GMT: Kylie's dressed as the pearly queen, with a vaguely military twist, in a very short black dress with silver sparkly bits and an officer-style cap. She tears through a string of her hits.
2020 GMT: Bassey rips through that one -- perhaps the queen's not a fan -- and now Kylie's up with one of her older hits "Spinning Around", before launching into "Can't get you out of my head". Looks like another medley...
2017 GMT: On to another classic now and it's Shirley Bassey looking most Dame-like in a white dress and singing, of course, "Diamonds are Forever".
2013 GMT: The catchy, emotive number, with an African vibe, also features the Military Wives choir and indigenous Australian musician Geoffrey Gurrumu Yunupingu.
Barlow, who has been playing keyboard is joined on stage at the end by Lloyd-Webber but there's no sign of Harry. Shame.
The crowd give "Sing" plenty of cheers.
2010 GMT: Next it's the official diamond jubilee single "Sing", written for the occasion by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd-Webber. There are 200 people on the stage including members of the African Children's Choir and singers from all over the Commonwealth. But will we see Prince Harry on tambourine? He's in the video and it's been reported that he may be popping up...
2003 GMT: Robbie Williams is back on now with "Mack The Knife". Seems a strange choice to follow the queen's arrival but I'm sure there's some logic to it somewhere...
2000 GMT: The queen joins her grandsons, Princes Harry and William, and Will's wife Kate, in the royal box. She's wearing a black cape with gold buttons and pearl earrings and is greeted with warm applause.
1959 GMT: QUEEN ELIZABETH ARRIVES.
1958 GMT: Comedian Lenny Henry gives the next entertaining interlude before welcoming the queen...
1956 GMT: Tom tells the crowd: "I was here 10 years ago for the Golden Jubilee and we were at the back of the palace then, and now we're at the front. That's the way it goes."
He's now singing a medley of "Delilah" and "Mama Told Me Not to Come".
"A storming set from Tom Jones, who got the crowd singing along," says AFP's Guy Jackson. "If the queen is watching on TV before appearing here, he is a singer she might actually know."
1950 GMT: Tom Jones up now, waving the flag for Wales.
1945 GMT: American soprano Renee Fleming soars through "Un Bel Di Vedremo". There's not much time to get bored of any of these acts if you're not a fan... "Polite but unenthusiastic applause for her," notes AFP's Guy Jackson who's at the concert.
1942 GMT: Eurythmics legend Annie Lennox, sporting a diamante-studded dress and angel wings, has just finished the classic "There Must Be An Angel" and Australian entertainer Rolph Harris is up next wearing a Union Jack shirt.
"I moved to England 60 years ago so my time here completely overlapped with the queen's reign," Rolf says and quips: "The queen is looking better than me". Meeting Her Majesty was the highlight of his career, he adds.
1935 GMT: Something for the younger generation now as Ed Sheeran takes to the stage to sing "Little Lady".
Talking of which, the royal princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are among those sitting in the royal box, I am told. Prime Minister David Cameron's also there. No sign of the queen though -- she's up later to light the beacon.
1928 GMT: Jamaican singer Grace Jones is now performing "Slave to the Rhythm" while keeping a hula hoop swinging round her hips, which is quite some feat. She's also wearing a flamboyant black and red bodice with black tights and cloak and a red helmet-like headdress. A departure from the military tunic theme.
Tonight's programme has been put together to reflect the whole of the Commonwealth -- not just Old Blighty.
1924 GMT: Opera singer Alfie Boe has just finished a rousing rendition of "O Sole Mio" -- better known to many Britons as "Just one Cornetto", thanks to a well known ice-cream advertising campaign. He is probably the only former car mechanic from Blackpool on stage tonight.
1920 GMT: The top five subjects currently trending on Twitter in the UK appear to be mostly Cliff Richard-related after his medley earlier: #diamond jubilee; Cliff Richard; Millennium Prayer; Devil Woman; and Wired For Sound.
1910 GMT: "Knights of the realm are ten a penny backstage tonight" jokes comedian Jimmy Carr after Sir Cliff's performance.
A change of tune next with some classical music from Chinese pianist Lang Lang... something a bit more up the queen's street perhaps. He's joined by the BBC Concert Orchestra and it's getting a bit livelier with Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".
1905 GMT: Cliff Richard up now dressed in a rose-pink suit and tie. He's doing a medley of six songs spanning every decade of the queen's reign. The 71-one-year old national treasure is one of a number of tonight's performers who have been knighted by the queen during their lifetime. On screens behind him are black and white home movies of the queen as a child.
1900 GMT: Take That singer and concert organiser Gary Barlow comes on to sing with ex-Girls Aloud member turned talent show judge Cheryl Cole. She is wearing an extraordinary black and white gown with a long train.
"By my reckoning, with Jessie J, Cheryl Cole and Robbie Williams we have already had three of the top-selling British artists of recent years," notes our correspondent, Guy.
1856 GMT: A few moments ago Kylie told the BBC it was a "great honour" to be performing tonight, describing herself as "half a Brit". She said: "I guess you just have to be here to feel the frisson of excitement and what's in the air. It's really great." Earlier the Princess of Pop tweeted a picture of herself sporting a plastic poncho backstage during rehearsals.
1847 GMT: The crowd has gone wild for Will.i.am's rendition of "I Gotta Feeling". The BlackEyedPeas singer also opted for for the military tunic... we're spotting a theme here. Jessie J joins him on stage, shouting "We all know how to party in the UK!"
"Thousands of Union Jacks are being waved", says AFP's Guy Jackson. "Even hardened journalists behind me are dancing."
1843 GMT: Rob Brydon takes to the stage -- one of several British comedians chosen to host the show. He jokes that the queen won't be happy because it's the equivalent of handing over your home to a 16-year-old "and then putting it on YouTube".
1840 GMT: Elton John, who will be up on stage later, tells the BBC he is "proud to have been asked to perform, praising the queen as "stoic, wise, funny". "It's going to be exciting... it's a fun night. It's a celebration of her majesty", he says but adds " I don't think she is a big pop music fan".
1837 GMT: Fireworks and flame-throwing set off a spectacular opening sequence. "This is surely the first time that flame-throwers have been used in front of the palace," remarks Guy Jackson.
1832 GMT: CONCERT BEGINS WITH ROBBIE WILLIAMS.
Three startled ducks take flight as fireworks and military drumming herald the start of the concert, says AFP's Guy Jackson from Buckingham Palace. Robbie Williams, dressed in a military tunic is the first act, singing "Let me Entertain You".
1830 GMT: Some 18,000 people have been invited to the concert, being staged around the Queen Victoria Memorial, with 10,000 winning tickets in a public ballot and another 8,000 attending from charities linked to the royal family. Thousands more will be trying to glimpse the show from screens in Hyde Park, St James's Park and The Mall.
In the queue, AFP's Katy Lee speaks to concert-goers... "I won the tickets and I've brought my dear friend here, as we're both 60 this year -- it's our jubilee as well," says nurse Linda Jones, who along with her companion Joy Skinner is sporting a bright red, white and blue wig and matching sunglasses.
1825 GMT: After torrential rain for Sunday's Diamond Jubilee river pageant in London, it appears that tonight's revellers are in luck. The sun is appearing from behind the clouds and umbrellas have been discarded -- for now.
Huge queues are snaking around Buckingham Palace, reports AFP's Katy Lee, while thousands more are filling The Mall -- the road leading up the the queen's abode, which is lined with huge Union Jack flags and giant screens on which the show will be broadcast.
WELCOME TO AFP'S LIVE REPORT on Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee concert in London on the third day of celebrations marking the British monarch's 60 years on the throne.
Thousands of people are gathered outside Buckingham Palace for the event, which will feature performances from international superstars including Paul McCartney, Elton John and Kylie Minogue, with music spanning every decade of the queen's reign.
Earlier the palace announced that her husband, Prince Philip, had been hospitalised with a bladder infection and would be unable to attend. But the show goes on without him, ending with the lighting of more than 4,000 beacons across Britain and the Commonwealth.
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