London 2012: Swimming Draws the Royals In

As it usually is, the Olympic swimming competition has been the place for royal spotting.

Yesterday saw members of the Danish, Dutch, Luxembourgish, Norwegian and Greek royal families in the stands for the morning heats. Sitting together in the VIP section, it was a kin to a family reunion of sorts.

Queen Margrethe, Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary and Princess Benedikte of Denmark were on hand to cheer Jeanette Ottesen Gray into the final of the women’s 100m butterfly (she would finish sixth in the final that night). Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit were sitting behind the Danes, while King Constantine, Queen Anne-Marie and Prince Philippos of Greece were further down the row.

They were joined by a heavy turn-out from Luxembourg’s Grand Ducal Family, everyone was there except for Prince Sebastien. Grand Duke Henri shook hands and spoke with the US Republican Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, during the event.

During the heats, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh also stopped by the Aquatic Centre for a quick tour of the facilities, and a brief look at the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats. The Queen was given a rapturous cheer when she was spotted on the walkway above the pool.

The Dutch royals – Prince Willem-Alexander, Princess Máxima and their three daughters Amalia, Alexia and Ariane – were present that night for the finals, where the Dutch team took home silver in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay. Princess Máxima and the girls took home the winner’s bouquets, which the Dutch swimmers threw up to them.

Today, the Danish Crown Prince Couple were back for more heats – Mary wearing patriotic red-and-white striped wedges. Prince Albert and Princess Charlène of Monaco attended by the morning heats and the evening finals, where the Prince presented the medals for the women’s 400m freestyle. Prince Henrik of Denmark also attended the finals, where Lotte Friis came in fourth in the 400m freestyle.

Filed under Denmark, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom
Tagged Albert II of Monaco, Constantine II of Greece, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, London 2012, Margrethe II of Denmark, Olympic Games, Prince Félix of Luxembourg, Prince Henrik the Prince Consort, Prince Louis of Luxembourg, Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess Charlène of Monaco, Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Sport, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess of Orange.

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