The Olympic Opening Ceremony was beautiful but very rain-soaked. President Macron really had VIPs sitting in bleachers, wearing flimsy rain gear as they watched most of the opening ceremony on video monitors. When I say VIPs, I mean it too – a who’s who of European royalty, celebrities from Europe and North America, and many world leaders all came out for the Opening Ceremony and most of them stayed throughout the weekend to attend some of the first events. Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene (and their kids) were there, as were King Felipe and Queen Letizia.
Notably, the UK’s big royal ambassador for the Olympics skipped the opening ceremony. Princess Anne was an Olympian too – she competed in some equestrian events at the 1976 Montreal Olympics but did not medal. In the 1980s, she was basically assigned all Team Great Britain Olympic events – she does photocalls with British Olympians and she shows up to Olympic events around the world. But Anne is currently still in poor health because she got kicked in the face by a horse. She’s supposed to be taking it easy. But the family still made her go to the Paris Olympics! She skipped the opening ceremony, but she came out over the weekend.
Here’s what I don’t get… if the Windsors know that Anne needs rest – to the point where most of her events have been canceled this month – why not assign the Olympic stuff to another royal? We haven’t seen Sophie and Edward in a while, and they have friendships with other European royals. They should have been sent to the opening ceremony, right? Of course, you could make the argument that Prince William, as heir, should have been sent to the opening ceremony too. But his summer vacation has already started.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Getty.
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- 28 July 2024, France, Paris: Olympia, Paris 2024, Swimming, Paris La Defense Arena, 100 m breaststroke, men, final, Princess Anne will congratulate the runner-up Adam Peaty from Great Britain.,Image: 893486285, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Michael Kappeler/dpa / DPA Picture Alliance / Avalon
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- 28 July 2024, France, Paris: Olympics, Paris 2024, Swimming, Paris La Defense Arena, 100 m breaststroke, men, final, Princess Anne congratulates the runner-up Adam Peaty from Great Britain.,Image: 893486311, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Michael Kappeler/dpa / DPA Picture Alliance / Avalon
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- Spain s King Felipe VI and Spain s Queen Letizia. Guest arrival of the diner of Ceremony of the 2024 Summit Paris Agreement for Sport and Sustainable Development. Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France Featuring: King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia Where: Paris, France When: 25 Jul 2024 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince of Monaco Albert II and Princess of Monaco Charlene and Brigitte Macron attending at reception organized at Elysee Palace prior Paris 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, in Paris, France Featuring: French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince of Monaco Albert II, Princess of Monaco Charlene, Brigitte Macron Where: Paris, France When: 26 Jul 2024 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Prince of Monaco Albert II and Princess of Monaco Charlene with Jacques and Gabriella during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the Trocadero. Featuring: Prince of Monaco Albert II and Princess of Monaco Charlene with Jacques and Gabriella Where: Paris, France When: 26 Jul 2024 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Two things may be true at once. The Windsors are going to drain her dry because few left are willing to do the nitty gritty dull royal work. And. The Olympics are one of her few really high profile roles and she is a former Olympian. She may be holding onto this role with an iron fist because she doesn’t want her lifelong/high profile role going to willy or keen and botched badly during her lifetime. The images of Willy “supporting” England’s soccer team are cringe and she is sparing the Olympians this ick factor and drama.
Anne’s a former olympian. I don’t put anything past that wretched institution, but it seems very possible that all the pushing is coming from Anne herself. She literally got back on her horse after being knocked unconscious at the Olympics. I think her immediate family might have had to practically sit on her to get her to take as much time off as she has.
She gets an all-expenses paid trip to the Olympics. Might have been her own decision.
Kings and Queens of Denmark, Belgium (i think) and Netherlands were there too. Perhaps Anne just really wanted to go? The BRF are aways aloof with European royals.
The opening ceremony was several hours long. That might have been too much for Anne.
She still looks quite poorly. Neither her nor her brother are going to make it to their parents’ age, are they? QE2 and Phillip still seemed quite hale and hearty in their mid 70s.
I think Anne had a stroke.
Me, too. She has aged ten years since the injury. I don’t know if a concussion would do that but I know a stroke can cause that effect.
Anne has suddenly aged…..
It is mindblowing to me that there wasn’t a british royal at the opening ceremony. If Anne was in Paris, why wasn’t she there? Why didn’t Charles, Camilla, William, Edward, Sophie attend??
Hey BRF – there’s a train you can take from London to Paris. I’ve heard its nice! Try it!
I mean I guess its something that Anne is at least at the games, but come on now. The optics were so bad at the opening ceremony.
It actually shows how little the BRF are actually needed. Nobody in the UK, cares that they weren’t at the opening ceremony. The Prime Minister was there so I think most people believe that was sufficient representation.
That’s one of the things I don’t get about the royals extended vacations, Kate disappearing for months and months (I mean I think at this point she may not be seen in public until Remembrance) – to me it just showcases how unimportant they are. The charities keep operating without visits from royal patrons, the local fairs keep awarding their ribbons, the hospitals keep treating patients, the Olympic athletes still compete, etc.
The more the BRF remains out of public view the more people will think they’re just not necessary. Or maybe they’re hoping people just forget about them?
The trains were disrupted all over France on Friday — and on the weekend — because signal boxes had been sabotaged.
So there was no Eurostar service to Paris, and it was reported over here that some German Olympians, who wanted to attend the opening ceremony, were stuck in the Alsace region (northeastern France, border region to Germany), and eventually switched trains and went home again. They’re competing at a later date, so it wasn’t tragic. But these ceremonies are special.
I came here to say that she may have planned to take Eurostar but then had to change her plans. It sounds like France’s entire transportation system was quite a mess on Friday.
LOL I wasn’t being completely serious about them taking the Eurostar. I was just trying to emphasize how close France and England are.
She was already in Paris, because she attended the IOC meeting that took place in the days before the start of the games.
The BRF is like the section of the family (cough SIL) that won’t let their kids play with the other kids because of standards, etc. They are related to so many ir pretty much all the royal players, but are so stand offish. And I want Letizia’s outfit. Stunning.
My guess is three hours in the evening is too much for Anne while recovering. That being the case wasn’t her daughter also in the Olympics? She could have accompanied Anne and attended the opening ceremony. Is anyone else in the BRF a ‘working’ royal but not on vacation?
See, I don’t even think that Edward and Sophie should have been sent. It’s fine for Anne to go as she was a former Olympian. If she wanted go to and felt well enough, sure. But, additionally, at the end of the day, William should be there. Willlaim should go. It’s pretty ridiculous that he didn’t go. He is a spoiled piece of work, that’s what POW really stands for, a piece of work. It’s a joke.
so I know when the royals are at these kinds of events they are “working” but the other royals all seem to be enjoying themselves. It’s a privilege to be able to attend the olympic games. Why WOULDN’T someone want to go if they can?? But he’s on “vacation” and that’s that.
You would think the kids would get a kick out of some of the events or the opening ceremonies even if they were long. William could have at least attended a football match or something.
He’s just so lazy and spoiled.
Right? How many people would love to go to the Olympics in Paris and get vip seats. Take Charlotte and George and Louis to gymnastics. Or fencing. Or soccer. It’s baffling that he doesn’t. And offensive. He’s the heir to the head of state. He’s next in line after Charles. He should be there for something. Paris is right next door. It’s just like come on.
Is it me, or does Anne look worse for wear these days? That head blow must have been quite serious. Anne seems like a shadow of her former self.
She looks like she’s really been through the ringer and shrunken Looking frail. I wasn’t feeling too generous towards her because of her role in the Frogmore eviction, but she looks like she still needs to rest and still recover. I think Anne has always been seen as robust and getting on with it, but now she looks like a frail old lady.
Where have Edward and Sophie been? Are they hiding away or just never reported on?
They’re on summer break. They always take holidays when their children are on break from school just like William and Kate.
Why do the British royals always think they’re above it?
All the royals who attended are the heads of state. And while Anne is a former Olympian, she’s never had an official rank that would justify the others being absent.
The Windsors and their hallowed vacations!
🙄
Their blood must be an extra special blue. Mind boggling considering they are related to so many other royals.
I’m pretty sure that Anne got the memo from her two stubborn, duty-bound parents long ago. Plus, Elizabeth II was the poster child for not letting go of the reins of power even though Charles kept pestering her to let go. Sound familiar?
If Céline Dion could crawl to the Olympics to have her moment (and oh, what a moment it was!), then Anne could and would make it there, too. Nothing to see here, folks…
I think the royals would attend at the request of the government. Considering the picture of William with his finger in Starmer’s face, perhaps they weren’t requested. Considering that the Olympics was in Paris (i.e. in Europe) the absence of British royals at the opening ceremony, attended by numerous other European royals, looked a bit remiss. I always had the impression that the British royals considered themselves above the other European royals. Anne has been on the Olympic committee forever, and she is a former Olympian, but sitting in pouring rain for over three hours was probably a bit much for Anne who is recovering from a serious accident. I think she has aged as a result of whatever happened to her, and looking quite fragile- not an adjective I would have ever associated with Anne. I think one thing is becoming clear, though. William does not represent Britain well at sporting events, so can’t imagine he’d be much good at more serious diplomatic events. It almost seems like the Brit government has a problem child in their future. William seems incapable, as well as unprepared to be diplomat in chief of the UK.
Anne definitely looks frailer and just older. Not sure why no one else is stepping up, but they’re so weird about hierarchy and who deserves the spotlight, that it’s hamstrung them. It’s definitely looking diminished. Anyway, look at Letizia serving shoulders. Hope the protocol police can handle it. Felipe as usual the best dressed royal man. His tailor deserves a knighthood.
Someone please unwind that mess on her head and give her some style..
It may have been too long for her in her current delicate condition.
I love seeing all the other Euro royals there. The Dutch and Spanish monarchs brought their kids, and I expect to see more kiddos around as the games progress (including the young Belgians).
William seemed so eager to be the sportsman / stateman during the Football Euros that you could have thought that he would rush to France to represent England. Way to prove that he’s not lazy.
I think this is a matter of Anne not wishing to give up her duties to anybody else. The Olympics is her thing. It was interesting to see the derangers upset that nobody but Anne is representing the British Royal Family when compared to the other European Royals. This is what you get when you have a slimmed down monarchy.
Great to see Princess Charlene looking so strong and healthy. She is an exceptional athlete too.