The Queen has praised the performance of Britain’s Paralympics team at Rio 2016 as “magnificent” as the athletes returned to the UK on a special flight.
Parades to celebrate the country’s Olympic and Paralympic success have been confirmed for Manchester on 17 October and London a day later.
Paralympic medallists were welcomed by fans and family who met their flight at London Heathrow on Tuesday morning.
GB won 147 medals, 64 of them gold, at the Paralympics and 67 Olympic medals.
Those included 27 Olympic gold medals. Both teams broke their medal tallies from London four years ago, hit their 2016 targets, and finished second in their medal tables.
As the Paralympics closed and athletes returned to their home countries, the Queen said: “I offer my warmest congratulations to the athletes of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and indeed to the athletes of all Commonwealth countries, for their many successes in Rio de Janeiro.
“The magnificent performance of Paralympics GB this year reflects the talent and commitment of the athletes and their support teams.
“I send my good wishes to all those who have contributed to the success of these memorable Games.”
