The Princess Royal attended the 29th modern Olympic Games in China in her roles as President of the British Olympic Association and as a member of the International Olympic Committee.
On arriving in China on 4 August The Princess attended the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee Session and Reception at Beijing National Opera House.
| The Olympic Flame at the National Stadium in Beijing |
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The Olympic Flame, symbolic of the Olympic ideals of unity and peace, was lit at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Games at the National Stadium in Beijing
© Press Association |
Her Royal Highness subsequently attended Committee Sessions over the following three days leading up to the official opening of the Games at Beijing's National Stadium on 8 August.
The Princess met the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team at a Reception and Dinner held for them at the Residence of Her Majesty's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China in Beijing.
| The Princess Royal watches the Semi Final Middleweight bout at the Beijing Workers Gymnasium |
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The Princess Royal watches Great Britain and Ireland compete in the semi final of the boxing middleweight class
at the Beijing Workers' Gymnasium
© Press Association |
Over the course of the 16 day-long sporting spectacular Her Royal Highness viewed a range of competitions across the country.
They included dressage and cross-country events at the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue (Beas River and Sha Tin), sailing at Qingdao and, in Beijing, swimming at the National Aquatic Centre and cycling at Laoshan Velodrome.
The Princess also viewed facilities and met athletes during a visit to the Olympic training stadium in Macau.
As an additional part of her programme in China, Her Royal Highness carried out engagements in support of Save the Children and Riding for the Disabled Association, charities with which she is keenly involved.
| Princess Anne departs Heathrow Airport, London, for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games |
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The Princess Royal, as Princess Anne, departs Heathrow Airport for the 1976 Montreal Olympics
© Press Association |
The Princess Royal has been associated with the Olympics for over thirty years.
An expert horsewoman, she competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games as a member of the British Three-Day Event team. This led in 1983 to her becoming President of the British Olympic Association, of which The Queen is Patron.
In 1988 The Princess became one of two UK members of the International Olympic Committee.
| The Princess Royal presents a bronze medal to a British athlete at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens |
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The Princess Royal presents British cyclist Rob Hayles with a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Games
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She has been an enthusiastic supporter of the British Olympic teams at successive games since 1983, including the games in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004.
The Princess Royal is also a British representative in the International Olympic Committee. She took part in London's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, and is now a member of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.
| Queen Alexandra presents a gold medal to a British competitor at the 1908 London Olympic Games |
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Queen Alexandra, right, presents Great Britain's Wyndham Halswelle his gold medal for winning the 400m at the 1908 London Olympics
© Press Association |
The Olympic Games have twice been held in London in the past and on both occasions enjoyed royal support.
| The opening ceremony at Wembley Stadium of the 1948 London Olympic Games |
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Crowds fill Wembley Stadium to watch the opening ceremony of the 1948 Olympic Games
© Press Association |
King Edward VII officially opened the IV Olympiad on 13 July 1908 and King George VI opened the XIV Olympiad at Wembley Stadium on 29 July 1948.
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