There was a time when, strange as it may seem, Britain struggled with public spectacle. Queen Victoria’s wedding to Prince Albert in 1840 was ruined by the Archbishop of Canterbury struggling to get the ring on to the bride’s finger.
Not any longer. The river pageant, the concert and the carriage procession were organised with a perfect balance between spectacle and security. And only 50 days to go before we do it all again as London hosts the Olympic Games.
As the barriers are cleared from the The Mall, there is clearly a lot that the Olympics can learn from the display. The most obvious is that it would be crazy not to write a part for the leading lady. It is gratifying that Danny Boyle, the man charged with staging the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, has already asked the Queen to join his extravaganza.
The second, rather unexpected, lesson of the Diamond Jubilee was that, if the Queen is not available, then Grace Jones is quite a stand-in.
Third, encourage fancy dress. It is a law of crowd control that nothing untoward will happen, no matter how large the assembly, if most of those attending are wearing wigs and face paint.
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Fourth, Trunk Animation Limited, whose light show turned Buckingham Palace into a row of terraced houses, is staffed by geniuses who must be employed at every public event.
But, although the British may love to queue, standing in line is less fun if the only treat in store is a visit to a portable loo. This is the main lesson to be learnt from the Diamond Jubilee. If the Olympic organisers hire a few more, they will avoid the single thing about the jubilee weekend that might have gone better, not to say quicker.