Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has declared the London Olympics open following an extravagant celebration that included Bond, the Bard and a Beatle. The show featured British celebrities and sportspeople, including David Beckham and Bradley Wiggins, and screen characters Mr Bean and James Bond. After seven years of planning, the Games officially began in the gleaming new stadium in a once rundown area of the British capital with a colourful show devised by "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle. More than 80 world leaders and royals attended the ceremony while First Lady Michelle Obama represented the United States alongside a host of celebrities including Angelina Jolie. The opening ceremony, costing $42m, kicks off a two-week festival of sport in which 16,000 athletes from 204 countries share the thrill of victory and despair of defeat with 11 million visitors.
