UK Royals at the Olympics

[MattDamon]

I've been following some Spanish social media outlets to keep up to date on some of their athletes and have been really impressed with the Spanish royals (kids included) showing up to a wide variety of events, cheering from the stands in their Espana shirts, hosting a reception for the athletes and basically being ambassadors for Spanish sports.

In terms of our royals, I've only seen Anne giving out medals for a few events. Are they normally more involved? Is it because of Kate's illness/being short-staffed?

Considering how well team GB is doing, it seems a shame to not be out there cheering them on, giving airspace to British athletes/sport.

(This isn't a sly dig on royals not doing enough, I couldn't care less what they do usually, but this seems like a wasted opportunity).

I’m sure if they did someone would be moaning about the plane they took to get there, how much the trip cost and/or they should be focusing on something else considering there’s riots happening all over the country.

They can’t win whatever they do.

Sophie is there but I've seen very little about this.

It's the summer, most of our royals take 3 months off. Lucky beggars.

Sophie was there yesterday (I think she was at the cycling) and today as well.

Thanks, I hadn't seen that yet.

Beatrice and Eugenie were there.

I think that if the "big guns" go, it turns into a complete circus.

Other than London when it was different as it was local they tend not to overlap, especially with Anne with her being a member of the IOC - the rest tend to not be around if she is.

Pressed send too soon. Anne tends to be the one that does any medals because she's a member of the IOC. So she's presenting the medals in that capacity rather than as 'Princess Anne'

@ARichtGoodDram Thanks, I hadn't thought of her being there in an IOC capacity.

@IdLikeToBeAFraser How weird, I haven't read or seen anything about them being there.

Anne and Tim were there for the whole first week.
Sophie has been at hockey (tho GB are now out!) and track cycling.
Edward will be at the Paralympics.
The King is ill and probably knackered.
Catherine is also not well.

It's fine.

Considering the official working royals:
King - not well and relaxing/recuperating in the summer with his wife
William - school holidays, and sick wife, so prioritising family
Kate - unwell and school holidays
Anne - present all last week
Sophie - there at the moment
Edward, who knows but likely around, especially considering how little publicity there's been of his wife.

The others aren't officially working royals, they'd be in the stands for a jolly and possibly be criticised for nepotism and wasting money by going.
So I think considering who's not sick, our Royals are doing pretty well.

It's about the athletes, not the royals. So it's nice that they are there but in a low key way.

This popped up somewhere earlier. This was from the cycling. Sophie was also at the hockey. Both sports she's patron of.

I think they are doing fine. I don't want to go back to that Harry and Meghan pushiness.

It's nice that they're there and getting involved relatively quietly - had this been H&M Megs would have been splashing it across
The whole world, and how she was once 43% gymnast / swimmer (add any sport here) but stepped aside to be a hero, Harry would be busy beating the horses and living it up with Snoop 🤪

I think Beatrice and Eugenie were there!

13 posts to Harry and Megan by the way....

They leave themselves wide open to it

Princess Anne is a member of the IOC and a former Olympic competitor.

The Spanish King is also a former Olympian which would explain why he is there so prominently.

@FloofPaws "They leave themselves wide open to it"

Not my point. I am just fascinated to see how quickly they are brought upon any RF thread, regardless of the original direction!

William doesn’t work in school holidays- even before Kate was unwell. (And he could have got the train, no need to fly)

I think we need to get used to less royals at stuff- there’s only William and Kate as working royals the next generation down from the monarch- and even before illness, neither did many engagements.

For senior Royals, it’s only going to be special occasions we see them.

Anne, Tim and Sophie are 3 senior working royals who have attended!

They seem to be attending if they have a connection with, Anne's Olympian stuff and Sophie as Patron of hockey and cycling etc. I think there was also talk of William going this week at some point.

I think it's good the emphasis has been on the athletes though.

What did people want - a repeat of Meghan in her flappy shorts marching round the Stadium?

Nobody ever wanted that in the first place.

@sausawyee You're late-someone else got there in 13!