The rain was typically British but so was the emotion as 1.5 million people packed the streets outside Buckingham Palace to wave at Queen Elizabeth II as she rounded off her diamond jubilee Tuesday.
Despite the downpour, people filled The Mall from the palace gates to the horizon to wave to the sovereign as she appeared on the palace balcony, the final event of a four-day holiday weekend celebrating her 60 years on the throne.
The absence of her husband Prince Philip due to illness did not stop the feelgood factor either.
Mexican waves ran across the temporary stands and people sang spontaneous rounds of "God Save the Queen" before a giant cheer went up as the balcony doors opened.
People politely put their umbrellas down so the masses behind them could get a glimpse of the 86-year-old monarch, dressed in mint green, and senior royals as they appeared to wave to the vast crowd.
The Mall, the ceremonial route from Trafalgar Square to the palace, was transformed into a sea of Union Jack flags.
Tim Fell, 32, a nursery teacher from Edinburgh, waved a banner reading "Elizabeth the Great -- she's a diamond!".
"This is what it's all about, letting her know what we think of her," he told AFP.
"Duty, country, sacrifice, commitment, compassion; for the queen, they're not just words in a dictionary -- they're a way of life, they're who she is and that's such a remarkable set of values to have.
"And duty means us. It's been an opportunity for everyone to come out and say 'hey, that's pretty cool! Thank you, keep going, we're with you!'
"Millions have come out in the pouring rain, and it's the least we can do for 60 years of service."
Buckingham Palace said the police had told them that there were 1.5 million people in and around The Mall.
Marlene Gannon, 73, from Yorkshire in northern England, who wore a Union Jack headscarf, was among them.
"I'm very short so I didn't see much of the queen but I enjoyed the atmosphere and occasion," she said.
"The whole weekend's been fantastic. I think she's realised how much people think of her.
"This has been on my bucket list of things to do before I die. I was determined to be here to be part of everything. It was fantastic.
"I've just been amazed at the different nationalities and ages and everybody was really happy about being part of the celebration."
With her Prince Philip in hospital with a bladder infection, the queen was joined on the balcony by her eldest son and heir Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, his sons Princes William and Harry, and William's wife Catherine.
The last time the royals appeared on the balcony was for William and Catherine's wedding in April last year.
Huge cheers went up for the flypast, the veteran planes roaring and swooping low beneath the clouds.
A Dakota flanked by two King Airs, a Lancaster bomber, four Spitfires and a Hurricane were followed by the Red Arrows aerobatics display team, trailing plumes of red, white and blue smoke, to the queen's delight.
The smiling sovereign peered over the balcony to see the palace guard of honour, resplendent in their scarlet tunics and bearskin hats.
They fired a "feu de joie" -- a fusillade of shots -- before giving her three rousing cheers, echoed by the immense crowd.
"It was absolutely wonderful. It's been the best day of my life," said Helen Stockman, 62, from Orpington, southeast London.
"The atmosphere here's been electric. It was a shame it rained but even that didn't dampen our spirits.
"I'm actually wearing red, white and blue but it's hidden by the rainwear!"
Andrew Moss, 20, a student from Bradford in Yorkshire, was wearing a policeman's helmet and held a life-size cardboard cut-out of the queen in one hand and a can of cider in the other.
"There was a strange moment when people were facing me with the cut-out -- it was easier than seeing the balcony," he said.
"When the queen came out it was unbelievable. People singing impromptu versions of the national anthem everywhere. It was actually quite spine-tingling."
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