A St Ives boat was flying the flag for Cornwall on Sunday when it took part in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on London’s River Thames.

Barnabas, the last remaining St Ives Mackerel driver, was among the fleet of more than 1,000 vessels that took part in the four-hour procession, which started upriver of Battersea Bridge and finished downriver of Tower Bridge.

The Cornish 40-foot lugger was built in 1880 and could be easily seen by the thousands of spectators that lined the riverbank, as well as millions watching at home on TV, by flying one of the largest flags in the pageant – the St Piran’s Cross.

She was part of one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river, which included rowed boats, working boats and pleasure vessels of all sizes dressed with streamers and Union Flags.

The armed forces, fire, police, rescue and other services were also afloat, as were music barges, boats spouting geysers and a floating belfry that’s bells chimed a ‘conversation’ with those in churches along the riverbank.

The flotilla was bolstered by passenger boats carrying flag-waving members of the public.

Pride of place in the pageant was the Royal Barge, carrying the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Princes William and Harry, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge.

Barnabas sailed the 450-mile journey from Cornwall to London and will be sailing home via the Chanel Islands when the weather permits.

She is one of a fleet of historic working craft owned the Cornish Maritime Trust, whose mission is to preserve and enjoy sailing them.

All members sail and maintain all the boats.

Membership is open to anybody, regardless of experience, and membership costs are kept at £25 a year for adult membership and £35 a year for family membership.