The King meets Olympians at Buckingham Palace. [© British Olympic Association]
King Charles III Continues Family Olympic Tradition
by Philip Barker
Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles III is to become Patron of the British Olympic Association.
The King, who was born in the 1948, a year London staged the Olympics, succeeds his mother, the late Queen who had been patron since her accession to the throne.
His sister Anne, the Princess Royal, has been BOA President for over 40 years and was the first member of the Royal Family to take part in the Games when she competed in eventing at the 1976 Montreal Games,
“We are delighted that His Majesty The King has agreed to take on the Patronage of the BOA,” said BOA Chairman Sir Hugh Robertson.
“As an organisation that represents all four corners of the United Kingdom, the support and active engagement of The Royal Family, and in particular HRH The Princess Royal, is important, and has been crucial to the recent success of Team GB. It is fantastic news that it will continue in the years ahead.”
The announcement continues a tradition of Royal involvement stretching back even before the formation of the BOA in 1905.
When London hosted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in 1904, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was amongst those who were received at Windsor Castle, and the IOC President also watched the Trooping the Colour Ceremony which celebrates the sovereign’s official birthday.
King Edward VII attended the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens and in 1908 he formally opened the London Olympics.
Queen Alexandra famously presented the prizes at the end of events at White City in West London. These included a special award to Dorando Pietri the gallant Italian marathon runner who collapsed close to the finish and was disqualified after receiving assistance from officials.
When the Olympic Games were last held in Paris 100 years ago, the future King Edward VIII, then known as David, Prince of Wales attended the Games with Prince Henry and laid a commemorative wreath in tribute to the fallen.
It fell to King Charles’ grandfather King George VI to open the 1948 Games.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh did so on behalf of the Queen at the 1956 Melbourne Games.
Earlier that year, he had joined the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret as they attended the equestrian events held in Stockholm. The venue had been chosen because strict quarantine laws prevented them taking place alongside other sports in Australia.
Uniquely, the Queen declared the 1976 Olympics open in both French and English to reflect the bilingual heritage of Canada.
Charles and the other members of the Royal Family joined The Queen to watch Princess Anne compete.
The Queen formally opened the 1991 IOC Session in Birmingham which was held at the new International Conference Centre in the city.
The Royal Family regularly received members of the British teams to Buckingham Palace.
In 2005 the Queen welcomed IOC members to support London’s candidacy for the 2012 Olympics.
The Queen also took part in a filmed sequence which delighted spectators at the 2012 Opening Ceremony and television viewers.
In it she appeared with actor Daniel Craig as James Bond, Agent 007 and appeared to sky dive from a helicopter above the stadium.
Her appearance in the Royal Box was timed to perfection.
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