100 things challenge - 23: Royalty in the Olympic Games

[birdienl]

Some of you might have heard that Zara Philips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, competed in the 2012 Olympics. She even won a medal silver medal with the Eventing team! She was however not the only royal taking part in this Olympics. Also in the equestrian sport Prince Abdullah Al Saud competes for Saudi Arabia. He also took a medal,  with the Jumping team they won bronze.

There have been royal Olympic participants in previous Olympic Games as well. Zara Philip's mother Princess Anne took part in the 1976 Olympics as part of the Eventing team. Prince Albert of Monaco has been taking part as a bobsled athlete from the Calgary 1988 to the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics.

Somewhat farther back, Prince Constantine, later to become the last King of Greece, took a gold medal in sailing in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Also a sailing athlete was the current King Harald of Norway, who took part in the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics. In this way, he was following in the footsteps of his father King Olav V of Norway, who sailed during the 1928 Olympic Games. 

And the first royal to take part in the modern Olympics (as far as I've been able to find), was Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, who competed in the 1912 Olympics, taking part in the Jumping event of Equestrian sports and winning a bronze medal with the German team.

I think in general you can say these royals do quite well during the Olympics!


Prince Abdullah Al Saud

Comments

[lunalove24.livejournal.com]

Add to that Princess Nathalie (zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg). She also competed in some equestrian thing. She is the daughter of Richard, the 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Benedikte of Denmark (the sister of Denmark's Queen Margrethe).
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark has also been a part of the Olympics - he doesn't compete though, but is a member of the International Olympic Committee.

And, oddly enough, Prince Constantine married the other sister of Queen Margrethe.

It's apparently not enough to have one title, eh!? ;)

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the addition (guess Wikipedia did not have a full list of royal Olympic participants then...)

Our Crown Prince is also very active in the Olympic committee, I guess it's a popular job among crown princes!

[lunalove24.livejournal.com]

guess Wikipedia did not have a full list of royal Olympic participants then

I think it's just because, apart from Danes and Germans (and possible Swedes and Norwegians), no one knows who they are. I saw a photo on Yahoo of Princess Anne, Prince Philip and Princess Benedikte watching the equestrian event, and only Anne and Philip were mentioned...

I guess it's a popular job among crown princes

Well, what else are they gonna do?! ;D

[msantimacassar.livejournal.com]

How cool is that!