King and Queen emerge from Tardis to open Glasgow Commonwealth Games - Published King Charles and Queen Camilla emerged from a Tardis at the start of a spectacular Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow. The royal couple drew gasps and cheers from the audience at the Hydro as they appeared on a stage that had been turned into a giant garden. Flags from 74 nations and territories were carried into the arena during the event, which also featured the Loch Ness monster and performances from Nathan Evans, Tom Walker and KT Tunstall.

The show celebrated the story of Glasgow - from its industrial past to its vibrant nightlife - ahead of a Games that will see 215 medals awarded across 10 sports. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney and First Minister of Wales Rhun ap Iorwerth were among the dignitaries in the royal box for a show that lasted two hours and 20 minutes. Glasgow, which hosted the event in 2014, stepped in to stage it for a second time after the Australian state Victoria pulled out due to soaring costs.

Although on a smaller scale to previous editions, the 23rd Games will see a record 47 para-sports events. In a surreal opening scene, six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy emerged from the Tardis to cheers before he was, to the audience's surprise, followed by the King and Queen. It is not the first time a monarch has made a memorable entrance to a major sporting event's opening ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth II famously took part in the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, appearing to skydive into the stadium from a helicopter with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, after he escorted her from Buckingham Palace. After the royal couple took their seats an 18-strong Royal Scottish National Orchestra Youth Chorus entered, stood among the garden paths, and sang God Save The King. Then, for the first time in Commonwealth Games history, the athletes took centre stage by parading into the arena before the ceremony fully got under way.

The African nations led the way with Botswana the first to enter the Hydro. The segment was titled Ceud Míle Fáilte - Scottish-Gaelic for "a hundred thousand welcomes". This year there was no baton relay across the Commonwealth but each of the 74 nations and territories was given a wooden baton to decorate.

As they entered, the team's baton bearer handed the baton to one of three gardeners on stage. It is was then planted on stage to create a colourful garden. The soundtrack, by Skye-based Valstos, fused trad and electronic music and mixed in samples from the country's musical traditions.

Organisers said it was designed to be "a symbol of common ground, bringing a piece of every nation and territory into a shared celebration of the natural world that connects us all." The last baton was brought in by Team Scotland, who received the loudest cheer of the night as they were led in by Alex Marshall - who has won five Commonwealth gold medals in bowls - and judo champion Sarah Adlington. After the parade, a piper appeared in a spotlight and played a single note. The Loch Ness monster appeared on screen before being magically coaxed on to the stage by Outlander star Sam Heughan.