Push the boat out this summer enjoying a 12th-century tradition on the gorgeous River Thames.

The ceremony of Swan Upping sees members of the Queen's establishment don bright scarlet uniforms and embark on a five-day voyage upstream to check the local swan population is at a healthy level.

The bird-brained idea dates back hundreds of years but is enjoyed to this day by scores of tourists who flock to lock gates and bridges along the historic route to watch the flotilla pass.

The Queen's swan marker and accompanying swan uppers start out in six medieval rowing skiffs on July 14th at Sunbury in Surrey and complete the course at Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Along the way they'll be rounding up cygnets to count and carrying out other vital conservation work in a colourful display of pageantry.

Traditionally the Crown has claimed ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water but today the Queen only exercises this on certain stretches of the Thames and surrounding tributaries.