From silver to gold, the Queen rolls out her coronation coach

The commemoration of the golden jubilee ended yesterday with parades, parties, and a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral.

The climax to the four days of festivities was attended by a million people – filling the streets of central London again – who watched the Queen make her way through the capital in a baroque gold coach, as part of a lavish parade celebrating her 50-year reign.

Palace officials were congratulating themselves on what is seen as a public relations triumph, and, seemingly, a robust affirmation of the ties that still bind the monarch and her people. It comes after the public turned up in large numbers, against expectations, for the Queen Mother's funeral.

At St Paul's, the Archbishop of Canterbury said: "Unlike so much in the modern world, this relationship between Sovereign and people has grown stronger and deeper with the passage of time."

At a lunch at the City of London's Guildhall, Tony Blair spoke of the "huge affection" of the nation towards her. "Deference may be inherited but affection is earned and the affection this country feels for you is real," he said. The Queen said she had been "overwhelmed and deeply moved" by the public response to the jubilee. "Gratitude, respect and pride; these words sum up how I feel about the people of this country and the Commonwealth, and what this golden jubilee means to me."

Buckingham Palace had said the Queen wanted the commemoration of her golden jubilee to be "inclusive" and, at the service at St Paul's, there were readings from teenagers, contributions from other Christian denominations, and representatives from other faiths.

Afterwards, the Queen and other members of the Royal Family mingled with people at the Mall before watching the celebrations. The festivities included a low-level fly-past by 27 aircraft, a concert by a gospel choir of 5,000 and a parade of 36 organisations, including Scouts and Guides. There were also representations from Britain's ethnic minorities and 54 Commonwealth nations.

By yesterday evening, a massive crowd had rolled into the Mall in waves of red, white and blue and the police removed barriers to allow them to appear before the Queen and the Royal Family, who were at the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

There was almost continuous cheering and community singing including repeated renditions of the national anthem and "Land of Hope and Glory". The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made several reappearances at the balcony, waving to the crowd.