Princess Anne gives Team Great Britain royal support ahead of the Paris Olympics

Sports fans of all backgrounds have had plenty to talk about in the last few weeks, with England reaching the finals of the Euro 2024 championship and the tournaments at Wimbledon taking place, and the Royal Family is no exception. Prince William and Princess Catherine personally cheered on the competitors and even involved their children in the good sportsmanship and love for their countrymen.

The Princess Royal in Paris

With the Paris 2024 Olympics now underway and competitions already taking place, the whole world has turned its eyes to those representing their countries on the world stage in France. Princess Anne made a special trip to the British Embassy ahead of the games for a reception in honor of the motherland's athletes.

Anne herself is a former Olympian, as she competed in dressage in the 1976 games that took place in Montreal. She has also been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1988 and her visit to Paris included meeting with that organization.

According to Hello! magaizine, however, she was not able to attend the Opening Ceremony on Friday night. The Princess Royal was hospitalized with a head injury earlier this summer and the trip to Paris was her first trip abroad since then. She instead watched the festivities at Team GB House along with members of the British Olympic Association.

The Standard-Bearers

It was at this same reception that the flag-bearers for the team were announced ahead of the Opening Ceremony.

Tom Daley, who began his Olympic career as Britain's youngest competitor in 2008, earned a bronze medal in platform diving in the London 2012 games and is now the first British diver to win four Olympic medals, was named as one of the flag-bearers. 2024 has already seen him win the World title in the mixed team event.

Carrying the banner next to Daley is two-time Olympic rowing champion Helen Glover. She had announced a retirement in 2016, but resumed training in 2021. She has the distinction of being the first mother to row for Britain as she competed in the Tokyo games after starting a family. Of her return to the sport, she said, "Everyone will remember the year of the pandemic for their own reasons but for me I'm going to think 'that was the year that took me to another Olympics. And that's bonkers."

Best of luck to all those representing Team Great Britain in the coming weeks.