London ? With military pomp and a concert at Buckingham Palace, with a horse-drawn carriage of gold and a Concorde flyover, with flags and fireworks and a chain of beacon fires stretching across 68 countries, Britain and her former colonies this weekend launched a lavish celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

In the 1,000-year monarchy dating to William the Conqueror, Elizabeth is only the fifth British sovereign to celebrate 50 years on the throne. Healthy and determined at 76, she could even surpass the 63-year-reign of her great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, and become the longest-serving monarch in British history.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, left, and Prince Charles take in the Prom

The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performed for 12,000 guests who won their tickets in a lottery. Soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, and operatic duo Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu performed.

Giant video screens were set up to broadcast the concert to a nearby park and in 10 other cities around Britain. The British Broadcasting Corp. carried it live.

Palace volunteers handed out hampers full of food and drinks to the concertgoers.

Each of the guests at the palace concert received a half-bottle of champagne with plastic glasses, a smoked salmon wrap appetizer, a chicken jubilee entree and chocolates for dessert.