Almost two million people have applied for just 24,000 tickets to the Queen's Jubilee concerts in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

The two June shows will present some of the biggest names in pop and classical music, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne.

When telephone and internet lines closed at midnight on Sunday, a total of 1,897,051 applications had been made.

Cellist Rostropovich also conducts the LSO

The Prom at the Palace, on 1 June, stars cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, sopranos Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Angela Gheorghiu, tenor Roberto Alagna and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.

Stars appearing at the Party at the Palace on 3 June will include Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Queen, Tony Bennett, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, Sir Cliff Richard, S Club 7 and Will Young.

Just 12,000 tickets are available for each concert.

They will be allocated on a proportional basis, with the share of tickets going to each county depending on the size of its population.

Names will then be selected by random ballot.

Screens will convey the events to others outside the Palace

The BBC will produce and broadcast both concerts - which take place over an extended bank holiday weekend - around the world.

Giant screens constructed around the palace will allow those without tickets to see and be near the action.

The two concerts are the centrepiece of four days of events marking the Queen's 50 years on the throne.

Following the shows the Queen will light a beacon, signalling the start of a spectacular firework display and initiating a chain of beacons stretching across the UK and the Commonwealth.