20th Commonwealth Games In Glasgow

The opening ceremony of the 20th Commonwealth Games has taken place in front of a crowd of 40,000 in Glasgow.
The Queen read aloud the message she placed inside the Queen's baton which has been carried across all the Commonwealth nations over the last 10 months.

The ceremony, at Celtic Park, marked the official start of the 11-day competition.

Scottish comedian Karen Dunbar began the ceremony alongside Glasgow-born actor John Barrowman.

The pair sang Welcome to Scotland and then took the audience on a trip around Scotland, featuring a mock Gretna Green, the Loch Ness monster, the Forth Rail Bridge and the home of golf St Andrews.

During a video message at the stadium, Unicef ambassador Ewan McGregor said: "I'm proud to say welcome to Scotland, welcome to Glasgow, welcome to the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games."

Members of the audience sang God Save The Queen, with the mountains and glens of Scotland projected as a backdrop on the giant screen in Celtic Park.

Team India, as the hosts of the 2010 games, were the first of the 71 competing Commonwealth members to enter the arena.

The ceremony also featured singer Amy Macdonald performing Rhythm Of My Heart with Rod Stewart while Susan Boyle sang Mull Of Kintyre.

The Prince of Wales formally opened the last Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh will continue their visit with a trip to the athletes' village and swimming centre on Thursday.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will also watch some of the games.