Celebration for UK Queen's diamond jubilee starts

Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives at the Epsom Derby festival in Epsom, southwest of London June 2, 2012. Queen Elizabeth gets four days of celebrations to mark her 60 years on the British throne under way on Saturday with one of her favourite pastimes, a trip to the horse races, as tributes to the long-serving monarch pour in. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - Britain kicked off a four-day nationwide celebration for Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee on Saturday.

The four-day celebration began with the Queen attending a horse racing at the Epsom Derby on Saturday and a nationwide 21-gun salute at 1200 GMT, marking the exact anniversary of the queen's coronation.

Celebrations would focus on a 1,000-boat river pageant along the Thames in London on Sunday, a musical concert near Buckingham Palace on Monday, and a procession and church service at St Paul's Cathedral and carriage procession on Tuesday.

Racegoers watch the Epsom Derby festival in Epsom, southwest of London June 2, 2012. Queen Elizabeth gets four days of celebrations to mark her 60 years on the British throne under way on Saturday with one of her favourite pastimes, a trip to the horse races, as tributes to the long-serving monarch pour in. [Photo/Agencies]

More than a million people in the capital are expected to gather on Thames River banks to witness the seven-mile, 1,000-boat diamond Jubilee flotilla.

Some 4,000 beacons will be lit on Monday across the Commonwealth following a huge picnic and star-studded concert at Buckingham Palace. The Royal Family will then make a balcony appearance at the palace.

People across Britain are granted with a double bank holiday this weekend as part of diamond jubilee celebrations.

Many are taking advantage of the double bank holiday traveling abroad. Heathrow airport would expect 410,000 passengers to depart over the weekend, compared to average daily departure of about 95,000 passengers.