The London Olympic Games will start on 27 July 2012. The ceremony starts when the Queen is met at the entrance to the Olympic stadium by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge.

Then the teams for each country will enter the stadium. The Greek team comes first, because of course the Games started in Greece, and the Olympic torch always starts its journey in Greece for that reason. After that, the teams enter in alphabetical order according to nationality - so Afghanistan should be first after Greece.

Sebastian Coe is the head of the London Olympic Games committee, so he will give a speech, followed by Jacques Rogge. Then the Queen will declare the Games open. Selected participants - an athlete, a judge and a coach - will publicly take the Olympic Oath, promising to uphold fairness in the competition. Finally the Olympic flame is brought in, passed to the last torchbearer and lit; then the Games are ready to begin.