Crowds on balconies watch the Queen’s diamond jubilee pageant on the Thames on Sunday. (AP)

London, June 4: For Indians there are a couple of good matriculation essays to write:

1. Compare the British monarchy in 1997 and 2012.

2. Compare and contrast the heads of state of the world’s oldest and biggest democracies — Queen Elizabeth and Pratibha Patil.

I ought to begin by admitting I failed to see the Queen as she sailed down the Thames yesterday in a flower decked barge at the head of a flotilla of 1,000 vessels. To be sure, I got down to the river nearly three hours before the event but every access point to its heaving banks was sealed with flag waving Brits and tens of thousands of tourists, many Indian.

At London Bridge and at Tower Bridge, journey’s end for the flotilla, police just moved on the crowds trying to get to the already packed waterside. Same at Waterloo. Same everywhere else.

I ended up watching snatches on giant screens. People were so enthusiastic they even waved at the television pictures.

Incidentally, judging by the made in China plastic Union flags (£2 each), yesterday was a very profitable day for the People’s Republic. I quite believe 1.25 million turned up to see the Thames Pageant. Add to that the flags bought for thousands of street parties and decorations across the nation.

This evening, pop music legends will perform at a diamond jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace. Singing sensation Stevie Wonder is among the all-star list of artists that includes Sir Paul McCartney, JLS, Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Will.i.am. , Sir Tom Jones, Jessie J, Dame Shirley Bassey, Annie Lennox and Ed Sheeran.

More than 4,200 diamond jubilee beacons across the globe will also be lit tonight.

Normally, on such royal occasions Indians do not feel quite part of the proceedings but yesterday I noticed some Bengali families with babies in buggies beating their way to where they thought there was a gap. There were none – I only glimpsed the river when it started to rain heavily and people left but by then the Queen and the leading boats had passed.

There is no doubt yesterday’s pageant sealed a special relationship that exists between the monarchy and the British people. What is not clear is whether the special relationship is more between the people and an individual – Queen Elizabeth II.

This is not being flippant but to understand how the monarchy was very nearly brought to its knees it is not a bad idea looking at the 2006 film, The Queen, starring Helen Mirren as the monarch in an Oscar winning role.

The movie tells of events that nearly brought down the monarchy following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in a Paris tunnel on August 31, 1997.

There was a wave of public anger against what was deemed the uncaring royal family, some of it directed against the Queen herself. For example, the royal standard was not lowered over Buckingham Palace and the Queen refused initially to come down from Balmoral, her estate in Scotland, while Diana’s body lay “cold and lonely” at St James’s Palace in London.

The adoring millions heaped a mountain of flowers outside the gates of Kensington Palace, where Diana had lived, and Buckingham Palace, where she had become persona non grata following her divorce from Prince Charles. She had been stripped of “Her Royal Highness” title and downgraded to “Diana, Princess of Wales” — something many found unforgiveable.

For a while, the battle lines were drawn between the pro-Diana public on the one hand, and the royal family, represented by the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on the other.

In the end, the Queen flew down from Scotland, lowered the flag over Buckingham Palace and inspected the messages left with the flowers. Her gesture save the monarchy –— now enjoying unprecedented popularity as is obvious from yesterday’s turnout.

Marking 60 years of the Queen’s reign, the diamond jubilee celebrations are taking place over this extended weekend from June 2-5. The Queen, now 86, came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and her coronation took place on 2 June 1953. She celebrated her silver jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her golden jubilee (50 years) in 2002.

Almost single-handed, she has rescued the monarchy from its parlous state in 1997. The diamond jubilee celebrations are thus seen as an expression of the nation’s gratitude.

London Mayor Boris Johnson summed up yesterday’s event: “It has been a magnificent day, the scale of which we haven’t seen in our lifetime, with over a million people lining the river to show their admiration for Her Majesty... neither the wind nor the rain could dampen people’s spirits.”

Lord Salisbury, chairman of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, commented: “We would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to Her Majesty the Queen.... We hope it was a fitting tribute to 60 years of service.”

And this was David Cameron, who moved his street party inside 10, Downing Street, because of the rain: “Above all, what we are celebrating today is 60 years she has given of service to our country, but also this extraordinary institution that stands above politics, that brings the country together, that is something that we are celebrating today that I think is such a valuable thing in our country and across other parts of the world.”

The Prime Minister went on: “We are celebrating something important but it is also enriching our country and our society at the same time. As a country, I think we understand we are having difficult economic times but I don’t think people see any difficulty in celebrating something as great as Her Majesty's contribution over 60 years at a time of economic difficulty. Some had wondered whether it would be possible to do that. It is more than possible. It's something people are enjoying and finding great pleasure in doing.”

Even the normally cynical TV inquisitor Jeremy Paxman, once a Republican, admitted: “Now we all love the Queen and the strangulated protests from Republicans just sound like some petulant little boy stomping his feet and saying he hopes it rains on your birthday party.”

Historian David Starkey offered his explanation: “None of us, perhaps not even the Queen herself, is sure what her job is which is why its rituals and routines assume an almost sacred significance.”

The Queen, who occupies her position by birth, will remain monarch until death when she will be succeeded by Prince Charles who will, in turn, give way to Prince William.

Though unelected the Queen has proved herself to be someone around whom the entire British nation has been able to unite.