"I hope that memories of all this year's happy events will brighten our lives for many years to come. I will continue to treasure and draw inspiration from the countless kindnesses shown to me in this country and throughout the Commonwealth."

Earlier, hundreds of thousands cheered the monarch as she appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and a flypast">flypast by the Royal Air Force roared overhead. Jane Peel watched the events.

It was the climax of four days of celebrations: the appearance of the Queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony and an RAF

flypast

, which included World War II aircraft, and the Red Arrows trailing red, white and blue smoke. Tens of thousands of well-wishers stood in the rain, waving Union flags. Earlier, the Queen attended a thanksgiving service at St Paul's, at which the archbishop of Canterbury

paid tribute to

her 60 years of service and offered prayers for Prince Philip. With her

consort

being treated in hospital, the Queen was accompanied by her eldest son and his wife for the open-topped carriage procession back to her London home.

The Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, has visited Prince Philip in hospital. He said his father was recovering from an infection and in good spirits.

World News from the BBC

The United Nations says the Syrian government has agreed to allow aid agencies to set up field operations in four provinces that have seen the most intense violence. A UN aid official said the government agreed in writing to allow convoys with supplies to go into Homs, Idlib, Deraa and Deir al-Zour. He said that implementation would be a test of the