Queen opens London Games

Seven promising young British athletes lit the Olympic cauldron early Saturday, capping the Games' festive opening ceremony in east London.

The torch, which minutes earlier had been on a boat driven by football star David Beckham down the River Thames, had been carried into the stadium by five-time Olympic gold medalist Steve Redgrave.

The retired rower then passed it to the young athletes, who lit part of the outer rim of the torch, setting off a domino effect as fire methodically engulfed the cauldron. The small flames eventually rose and converged into the sky at the stadium.

A short time earlier, Queen Elizabeth II formally pronounced the Olympics open for business, saying, "I declare open the Games of London, celebrating the 30th Olympiad of the modern era."

Organizers had said they expected a billion people worldwide to watch the opening ceremony -- which was created by Danny Boyle, best known for directing the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" -- on television.

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