London - Britain's Queen Elizabeth yesterday formally unveiled one of the world's great modern art collections, displayed in a restored power station on the banks of the River Thames.
Heavy rain and a strong police presence meant a threatened protest by anarchists and anti-monarchists failed to materialise at the opening of the Tate Modern museum.
The queen announced, "I declare the Tate Modern open," as she pushed a button to unveil a commemorative glass plaque.
The £134 million museum houses about 600 paintings and sculptures from Rothko to Hirst and Mondrian to Warhol. Admission is free and the cavernous museum expects up to two million visitors a year.
Police were out in force to prevent any repeat of the rioting that erupted during demonstrations in London on May Day.
Some 4,000 showbusiness stars and artists gathered for a glittering party. Prime Minister Tony Blair hailed the museum as an "amazing achievement".
"It is going to be one of the great places in the world to visit. It will be fantastic for London and for Britain," he said.
Artists were as enthusiastic as critics about the reworking of the old oil-fired power station by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron.
"This is the kind of space we all dream about. It is a fantastic place that manages to be both intimate and grand," said artist Antony Gormley.