First Albert II - These Royals participated in the Olympics
The Olympic Games are considered the greatest sporting event in the world and attract athletes from all walks of life. In the past, there have been numerous members of the nobility among the participants. Throughout history, some royals have represented their countries at the Olympic Games and put in impressive performances. These royals have shown that blue blood also beats strongly in high-performance athletes.
Princess Anne and Zara Tindall
Princess Anne (73), the younger sister of King Charles III. (75) and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. (1926-2022), was the first member of the British Royal Family to participate in the Olympic Games. She competed at the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976 and finished ninth in the Eventing team. Since 1988, Anne has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Her equestrian talent seems to have been passed down to her daughter: Zara Tindall (43) has an Olympic participation to her name. At the London Olympic Games in 2012, she won the silver medal with the team. In 2008, she was selected for Beijing, but her horse was injured just beforehand.
Albert II and Charlène of Monaco
The current Prince Albert II. of Monaco (66) represented his principality as a bobsledder at the Winter Games five times: 1988 in Calgary, 1992 in Albertville, 1994 in Lillehammer, 1998 in Nagano, and 2002 in Salt Lake City. He never managed to win a medal. Albert II has been a member of the IOC since 1985 and has been the Chairman of the Monaco National Olympic Committee since 1994. He remains a passionate Olympian.
Perhaps this passion is shared with his wife? Princess Charlène (46), born Charlène Wittstock, is also a former Olympian. The South African took part in the Summer Olympics in Sydney in 2000 as a member of the 100-meter relay team and finished fifth.
Three Olympians in Spain's Royal Family
Former King Juan Carlos I. of Spain (86) is an avid sailor and competed in the Summer Olympics in Munich in 1972 in the Dragon class, finishing in 15th place.
His wife, Queen Sofía of Spain (85), was once an Olympian herself. At the age of 22, the Greek-born princess competed in the Rome Olympics in 1960 as a backup sailor for the Greek sailing team.
Olympics seem to be a family affair in Spain: King Felipe VI. of Spain (56) competed in the Barcelona Summer Games in 1992 not only as a member of the sailing team but also had the honor of carrying the Spanish flag during the opening ceremony.
Harald V. of Norway
King Harald V. of Norway (87) represented his country multiple times as a sailor in the Olympics. He attended the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968, and Munich in 1972. In 1964, the future king carried the Norwegian flag.
Further royal Olympians
At the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Karim Aga Khan IV. (87) represented Iran as an alpine skier and finished 59th in the Downhill and 53rd in the Giant Slalom.
Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein (1911-2001) competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz as a ski racer for Liechtenstein and finished 99th in the Downhill.
The late Princess Haya bint Hussein (50) of Jordan competed at the Sydney Summer Olympics in 2000 as an equestrian and was the flag bearer for the Jordanian team during the opening ceremony.
At the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, Maitha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (44), Sheikha of Dubai, was the first woman ever to represent the United Arab Emirates at the Olympics and even carried the flag. She competed in the Taekwondo discipline.
Hubertus, Prince of Hohenlohe (65), had a successful career as an alpine skier spanning over three decades. He represented his birth country Mexico at the 1984 Games in Sarajevo, 1988 in Calgary, 1992 in Albertville, 1994 in Lillehammer, 2010 in Vancouver, and 2014 in Sochi.
- Princess Anne and more members of the British Royal Family have demonstrated their athletic abilities at the Olympic Games.
- During the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Princess Anne finished ninth in the Eventing team, making her the first royal to participate in the Olympic Games for the United Kingdom.
- Zara Tindall, the daughter of Princess Anne, also showcased her equestrian skills at the Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in the team event at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
- Prince Albert II of Monaco has a passion for sports and has represented his principality as a bobsledder at the Winter Games five times, competing in Calgary, Albertville, Lillehammer, Nagano, and Salt Lake City.
- Princess Charlène, born Charlène Wittstock, is also an Olympian, having competed in the 100-meter relay team at the Sydney Summer Olympics in 2000 and finishing fifth.
- Former King Juan Carlos I. of Spain is known for his love of sailing, representing Spain in the Dragon class at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and finishing in 15th place.
- Queen Sofía of Spain was also a part of the Olympic family, competing as a backup sailor for the Greek sailing team at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
- Olympics seem to run in the family for Spain, as King Felipe VI. not only competed in the Barcelona Summer Games but also had the honor of carrying the Spanish flag during the opening ceremony.
- King Harald V. of Norway represented his country multiple times as a sailor at the Olympic Games, competing in the Dragon class in Tokyo (1964), Mexico City (1968), and Munich (1972).
- Karim Aga Khan IV. represented Iran as an alpine skier at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, finishing 59th in the Downhill and 53rd in the Giant Slalom.
- At the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, Maitha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, Sheikha of Dubai, became the first woman to represent the United Arab Emirates in the Olympics and even carried the flag.
- Hubertus, Prince of Hohenlohe, had a successful career as an alpine skier, representing Mexico in multiple Olympic Games, including Sarajevo (1984), Calgary (1988), Albertville (1992), Lillehammer (1994), Vancouver (2010), and Sochi (2014).
