London Olympics: Opening Ceremony Under Way
Updated: 11:20pm UK, Friday 27 July 2012
Seven years of planning have finally come to a head with the start of the much-anticipated opening ceremony for the London Olympics.
The star of the £27m extravaganza at the Olympic Park in Stratford has undoubtedly been the Queen who made her movie acting debut alongside James Bond star Daniel Craig.
In a comedy sketch filmed in advance, Craig arrives at Buckingham Palace in a dinner jacket, striding past the corgis towards the royal study.
"Good evening Mr Bond," says the Queen before they board a helicopter which takes them to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.
On their arrival the 'monarch' and '007' are seen skydiving from the chopper into the arena - much to the delight of the actual crowd.
Seconds later the real Queen and Prince Philip received a standing ovation as they took their places in the stadium.
Entitled Isles of Wonder, the opening ceremony was devised by film director Danny Boyle with the aim of celebrating all things British and charting the nation's history.
It was started with the ringing of a giant bell by cycling hero Bradley Wiggins, who last weekend became the first Briton to win the Tour de France.
The stadium was then turned into a green and pleasant land with hills, a cottage and people enjoying an idyllic version of British life.
Animals including 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, nine geese, 70 sheep and three sheep dogs also appeared in these opening scenes.
The peaceful scene was shattered as the age of industry sprouted from the ground with loud banging. A cast of hundreds swarmed on to the centre of the arena as the darker, grimier, urban landscape emerged.
A tribute to the NHS featuring followed with Musician Mike Oldfield playing Tubular Bells and Harry Potter author JK Rowling reading from JM Barrie's Peter Pan.
In another comedy film sketch Rowan Atkinson in his Mr Bean character created havoc as Sir Simon Rattle conducted the theme from Chariots of Fire.
In keeping with tradition, Greece led the parade of the 205 national teams comdeting in the Games. As the host nation, Team GB will bring up the rear.
A short while before the show began the Red Arrows flashed across London in a thrilling flypast, leaving behind red, white and blue trails of vapour.
The world-famous RAF aerobatics team flew above the capital at exactly 8.12pm - 2012 on the 24-hour clock.
The opening ceremony is being held in front of an audience of 62,000 including Prime Minister David Cameron and US First Lady Michelle Obama as well as the Queen.
At the end of the three-hour spectacular Her Majesty will declare the Games open and the Olympic cauldron will be lit.
Mystery still surrounds who will perform the honour, however, with Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Roger Bannister and David Beckham all having been tipped as contenders.
Before leaving for east London, the Queen and Prince Philip held a reception for foreign heads of state and VIPs at Buckingham Palace.
She told them: "To me, the spirit of togetherness is a most important part of the Olympic ideal, and the British people can be proud of the part they have played in keeping the spirit alive.
"Many sports played in these Games have their historic roots in this country, and as a nation we have an abiding passion for sport, as well as a tradition of fair play and a good-natured sense of fun."
The transport network was said to be running extremely well as crowds flocked to the opening ceremony.
Earlier, thousands of people lined the River Thames to cheer the Olympic torch as it made its way across London from Hampton Court to the Tower of London.
Bells rang out around the UK to mark the final countdown, among them London's Big Ben which chimed non-stop for three minutes from 8.12am.
David Cameron said Britain was ready to welcome "the greatest show on Earth", adding: "This is a great moment for our country, so we must seize it."
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) added: "London is ready."
