stood throughout the whole of it which was extraordinary and we did not expect that. "I think it is testament to the commitment to all the people who turned out." Mr Evans said that apart from the gloomy weather, everything had gone "pretty much to clock work". The Pageant Master added that the huge crowds and participants who turned out despite the weather were "testament to the British bulldog spirit". Not since 1662, when Charles II introduced his Queen, Catherine of Braganza, to the nation with a spectacular river pageant, have so many boats processed down the Thames with such unashamed patriotism. The event may have been a test of endurance, but it was also happy, and quite glorious.