It was a four-day feast for the eyes that stretched from Epsom to the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Along the way, this Diamond Jubilee has delivered plenty of dresses to savour, ranging from the borderline-sublime (Sarah Burton's two Alexander McQueen ensembles for the Duchess of Cambridge) to the deliciously ridiculous (the fearsomely hula-hooping Grace Jones).
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Its brightest star was the Queen herself. Her diamond-like twinkles were provided by the economically-prudent Swarovski crystals with which Angela Kelly, her long-time dresser and in-house dress designer, so lavishly bedecked each of the weekend's key Royal looks.
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Sunday's ruffle-trimmed ivory bouclé, Monday's golden lamé evening dress and yesterday's pistachio chiffon and tulle coat-dress were all studded with just the right amount of special-occasion bling, and all balanced by one of a succession of practical black handbags.
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Other Royal women to relish included the Duchess of Cornwall, consistent wearer of both the Jubilee's widest smile and most magnificent hats. Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice shone, too: yesterday, Stephen Jones masterfully equipped Beatrice with a hat to a church service that escaped international censure, while on Saturday Eugenie sported Union flag fingernails in a neat example of new-generation royal pomp punctured of pomposity.
Equally well-judged was the adequate but fleeting glimpse offered of the Middletons. Pippa fans were sated (she wore a tasteful, vaguely nautical Orla Kiely jacket for the Thames pageant), but this time she never threatened to steal the show.
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For fashion-watchers, Gary Barlow's concert was the richest Jubilee treat of all. Kylie Minogue's Pearly Princess in hot pants costume was pre-watershed pin-up perfection, while the brilliant, barmy Grace Jones showed that all one requires to pull off a bustled, scarlet PVC leotard (teamed with a hula hoop and lashings of baby-oil) is unswerving self-belief. Conversely, although by no means awful, Cheryl Cole's strapless monochrome mermaid gown (by Eva Minge) was perhaps the concert's least successful look. Fortunately her performance kept the critics distracted from the dress.
What they all showed, from the Queen herself to the countless, red-white-and-blue bedecked thousands that turned out to cheer her, was effort, energy, passion and vim.
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