By: Barry Soper | Tuesday, June 05, 2012 6:00 AM

There's one thing you've got to say about the Brits, when they decide to party they damn well do regardless of the climate.

Their pageant to celebrate Lizzie's 60 year reign was 18 months in the planning. In the weeks leading up to it, the country was bathing in temperatures knocking 30 degrees.

But one thing they couldn't plan for was the weather. It was more than a rained on parade - it was a freezing flotilla of a thousand boats of all shapes and sizes.

They made their laborious way up the Thames, with the specially decked out Royal barge looking splendid and the Queen and the newest recruit to the Order of New Zealand the Duke looking something like cardboard cartoon cutouts with their elbows permanently bent and with the gloved hands moving back and forth for hours as a gesture to their loyal subjects.

Not only were a million of them crammed on every vantage point along the route, the whole country was having a washed out tea party.

The weather was atrocious, plummeting to seven degrees with blinding rain. The gloved hands waved monotonously through it all.

There's little wonder that the Queen is well loved in this country that's not known for mushiness, unless you're referring to the ground under foot.

The media largely ignored the miserable masses, with headlines heralding the start of the $20 million party as a runaway success, even if the finale flyover had to be cancelled because the pilots wouldn't have been able to see where they were going.

Even State Homie John Key, who spent most of his time beneath decks, was back on wet land before the royal couple. He'd been on a boat with other Commonwealth leaders, but did weather the elements to have a look at his apartment above Chelsea Bridge where his sister was having a party.

There's one thing you couldn't say at the end of the day, that it was a day of whingeing Poms!

Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper is following the Prime Minister in Europe thanks to Air New Zealand

Photo: Getty Images