Britain's first Paralympic Games gold medallist, Margaret Maughan, 84, had the honour of lighting¹ the cauldron（大锅）.

 

Paralympics chief Lord Coe told the crowd: "Prepare to be inspired, prepare to be dazzled（目眩的）, prepare to be moved."

 

The Queen said: "The Games are returning to the country where they first began, more than 60 years ago."

 

Earlier, athletes paraded around the Olympic Stadium, with ParalympicsGB entering last to huge cheers.

 

 

The opening ceremony, co-directed by Jenny Sealey and Bradley Hemmings, signalled the start of 11 days of competition by 4,200 athletes from 164 countries, including more than 300 athletes from the home nation.

 

Wheelchair basketball, shooting, swimming and track cycling are among the events set to feature on the opening day.

 

Lord Coe told the crowd at the east London stadium: "It is my great honour to say welcome home to the Paralympic Games."

 

He said Britain "was ready" and the crowds in attendance would be "unprecedented²", adding: "These will be a Games to remember."

 

Eight members of the British under-22 wheelchair basketball team were given the honour of carrying the Paralympic flag into the stadium. It was raised by members of the armed forces, before the Queen declared the Games open.

 

British swimmer Liz Johnson, a medallist from Beijing 2008, wheelchair rugby judge Richard Allcroft and David Hunter, who is coaching the ParalympicsGB equestrian³ team, each stepped forward to take the official oaths on behalf of competitors and officials.

 

At the close of the ceremony, 24-year-old Royal Marine⁴ Commando Joe Townsend - an aspiring⁵ Olympic triathlete, who lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan - descended⁶ on a zip wire into the stadium from the top of the nearby Orbit tower.

 

He handed the flame to David Clarke, a member of the ParlympicsGB five-a-side football team, who passed the torch to Ms Maughan, who won gold in archery（箭术） at the 1960 Rome Paralympics. 

 

She lit a tiny flame on the ground, igniting（点火） more than 200 copper⁷ petals⁸. Long stems then rose towards each other to form a cauldron, signifying unity⁹.

 

Like the impressive Olympic cauldron, it was made by designer Thomas Heatherwick, and 166 of the petals bore the names of competing nations at the London 2012 Paralympics.

 

Mr Hemmings said it was "extremely spectacular and like nothing you have seen in previous ceremonies".

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