Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has hailed the "golden triumphs" of the British team in the Beijing Olympics, congratulating them on the best Olympic medal performance for a century.

"As the Olympic Games in Beijing draw to a close, I have been particularly impressed by the British and Commonwealth athletes who have taken part in this memorable competition and who have contributed so much to the spirit of these remarkable Games in the various disciplines," she was quoted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Sunday.

According to the Queen, "the golden triumphs of the present British team can only serve as further inspiration to those who will be working hard over the next four years to make the London Games a shining example of Olympic success."

Team GB has so far won 19 golds in Beijing and has 47 medals in total. On the closing ceremony on Sunday, the Olympic flag will be formally handed over to London which will host the 2012 Games. Celebrations will be held across Britain on Sunday to celebrate the hand-over, with U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps joining the London party.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown who is in Beijing for the closing ceremony has pledged to use the honors system to recognize the success of country's Olympic team.

Britain's athletes will attend a Downing Street reception after returning to London, with a victory parade slated for October 16.

(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2008)