Royals At Buckingham Palace Reception For Team GB

Great Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic heroes were honoured yesterday at a glittering Buckingham Palace reception hosted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

British Royals turned out in force to show their appreciation for the sporting heroes who had won Britain an unprecedented haul of gold, silver and bronze medals during the spectacular London 2012 Games.

Team GB did the country proud with an outstanding performance during the Olympic and Paralympic Games: the athletes won 65 medals during the Olympics and 120 during the Paralympics, an all-time high for Britain in both events.

Over 200 athletes were present at the reception; they arrived in their official Team GB formal outfits, which reportedly included a special inside pocket for their medals. Supporting Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of York, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent.

Zara Phillips was also there, not as a member of the Royal Family, but as an Olympic athlete who won silver for her country. Prince Charles and Camilla had also been scheduled to attend; unfortunately, because of fog their flight was delayed and they had to miss the reception. They did, however, manage to be present at the Skyfall première later in the evening.

Royals shared their experiences of going to the Olympic venues, cheering for the athletes and watching their triumphs. Aside from being enthusiastic spectators, however, most members of the Royal Family also had more official Olympic roles too. The Duchess of Cambridge, along with the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, was an Olympic ambassador and presented medals at the Games. Princess Anne is president of the British Olympics Committee and brought the torch from Greece to Britain; she also had the pleasure of presenting her own daughter with a silver medal. Prince Edward is patron of the British Paralympic Association.

The Queen was majestic in a pale blue suit accessioning it with one of the Cullinan brooches – Cullinan V, to be more precise. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a a black and gold floral embroidered Alice Temperley dress with transparent, ruffed sleeves, Jimmy Choo shoes and a diamond bracelet. The Princess Royal opted for an elegant red and black ensemble.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Fashion, London 2012, Olympic Games, Prince Michael of Kent, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York, Sport, The Countess of Wessex, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duchess of Gloucester, The Duchess of Kent, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, The Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Zara Tindall.

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