Britain's Queen Elizabeth has appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to mark the end of four days of celebrations for her historic Platinum Jubilee.
Her unexpected appearance prompted cheers from crowds of people packed below on the Mall.
She said that she had been "humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee".
"While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family," she added.
In statement, she said that there was "no guidebook to follow" when it comes to marking 70 years on the thrown, describing the milestone as "a first".
She described herself as "inspired" by the kindness, joy and kinship of the celebrations, and that she has hope that a "renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come" as a result.
Flanked by her immediate heirs, princes Charles, William and George, and other senior royals, it was the 96-year-old monarch's first in-person appearance since Thursday.
She was forced to skip several events of the jubilee due to persistent mobility issues.
Using a walking stick for support, and wearing a green outfit with white gloves, she remained on the balcony for the singing of the national anthem.
Military bands, dancers, performers and celebrities earlier paraded through the streets of London to mark the final day of celebrations.
Under leaden skies, open-topped buses, vintage cars, Olympic cyclists and troops from Britain and the Commonwealth travelled along the route the queen took on her coronation day in 1953.
Reflecting the different decades of the queen's reign, dancers dressed in 1950s outfits danced down the Mall, while Morris Minor cars carried union flags and honked their horns.
The Gold State Coach that carried the queen to Westminster Abbey to be crowned in 1953 was seen in public again for the first time in 20 years.
Hundreds of thousands of royal supporters appeared to watch the events and enjoy picnics in what is for many the first major national public event since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Singer Ed Sheeran and more than 100 "national treasures" ranging from former footballer player Gary Lineker to model Kate Moss, runner Mo Farah and children's TV puppet Basil Brush were also part of the 10,000 strong, eccentric parade.
It also included people dressed as flowers, swans and animals, while others danced to Abba.
A series of "Big Jubilee Lunches" were being held across Britain, as part of an estimated 16,000 street parties.
Another 600 such gatherings took place across the globe, including in Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan and South Africa.
Reflecting the country's quirky sense of humour, races were being held between Corgis, the dog breed beloved by the queen, while yesterday the monarch appeared in a comic sketch with Paddington Bear before she tapped in time with the Queen anthem "We Will Rock You".
The final day of festivities comes after Prince Charles, 73, paid a personal tribute to his mother at the pop concert outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night.
"You pledged to serve your whole life – you continue to deliver. That is why we are here," he said in his message to the queen,.
"You have met us and talked with us. You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us, for these 70 years," Charles added, referring to the queen as "mummy".
Elizabeth ascended the throne aged 25 on the death of her father, George VI, in 1952, inheriting dominion over a Britain still emerging from the ravages of World War II and with Winston Churchill as prime minister.
