London 2012 Olympics: honour of lighting Olympic flame handed to Britain's 'next generation'

Seven young athletes representing Britain's hopes for the future have lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the London Games.

British Olympic hero Steve Redgrave carried the torch into the stadium - its final stop after a journey around the country. The five-time rowing gold medalist handed it over to the teenagers, who ignited copper "petals" on the ground.

The fire spread in a circle and the petals converged to form a large cauldron in the sky.

Prior to the lighting, The Queen opened the Games for the second time in her 60-year reign, launching the global event during a spectacular ceremony that lived up to its billing.

Director Danny Boyle's £27 million production kicked-off London 2012 with imagination, style and a very British sense of humour.

But surprisingly there was a show-stealing performance by the Queen at its heart.

The Queen began the greatest sporting show on earth by telling the world: "I declare open the Games of London, celebrating the 30th Olympiad of the modern era"

But the Queen's formal contribution to the night was eclipsed by her entrance to the stadium which was heralded in dramatic style - with pre-recorded film footage showing "James Bond" and "the Queen" apparently skydiving into the stadium.

In the images 007, played by Daniel Craig, was first shown walking into Buckingham Palace surrounded by corgis to pick-up the Queen, who was sitting at her writing desk.

She greeted him with the words "Good evening, Mr Bond", then the pair apparently boarded a helicopter which flew across London to the stadium.

They parachuted down to the ground, but at the last moment - and in real-time - the Queen appeared in the arena to take her seat to cheers and applause.

In the run-up to the show. Boyle said: "The Queen made herself more accessible then ever before."

The Queen is known for her sharp sense of humour and probably relished the chance to remain true to her office - regal and stately - yet send herself up.

It was a rare public glimpse of the private woman, who regularly uses a joke to put nervous guests at ease.

London 2012 is the first Olympics she has attended on home soil.

Then Princess Elizabeth she did not attend the opening ceremony nor the rest of the 1948 Games as she was almost sixmonths pregnant with the Prince of Wales at the time.

As Canada's head of state, the Queen opened the 1976 Games in Montreal where her daughter the Princess Royal was an equestrian competitor.

At London 2012 her grand daughter Zara Phillips, Anne's daughter, will compete in the same event.

Culled: The Telegraph