Yesterday evening, The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh hosted a reception to welcome home Team GB and Paralympic athletes after their successful games in Rio.
The Queen welcomed Team GB and British paralympians to Buckingham Palace after their successful Rio games (@RoyalFamily)
Team GB managed a record number of medals at the away Olympics, following on from the success of London 2012. Excited guests included the gold-winning women’s hockey team, equestrian Lee Pearson, golfer Justin Rose and
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry joined Her Majesty to congratulate the elite team at Buckingham Palace, who had already received a heroes welcome in the capital earlier in the day.
William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, chat to medal winners including boxing star Nicola Adams (@Kensington Palace)
William and Catherine were seen chatting to various medal winners, who brought their gold, silvers and bronzes along to show off to the Royals.
The reception took place in some of the grand State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, many of which are seen by the public during the summer opening of the Palace.
Prince Harry got down onto his knees to talk to Ellie Simmonds, who won her fifth gold medal in Brazil for swimming.
Prince Harry chatting to Ellie Simmonds (@KensingtonPalace)
Also join the Royal party were Princess Anne, who is president of Team GB, as well as The Duke of York, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and The Duke of Kent.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and The Duke of Kent meet the @TeamGB and @ParalympicsGB medallists at Buckingham Palace #GBHeroesLDN pic.twitter.com/YzKX0dxWFS
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 18, 2016
Such a meeting may not have been so unusual to The Princess Royal, who competed for the country at the 1976 games, and won a silver and a bronze at the European Eventing Championships.
The athletes had been celebrated in Manchester too, as an opportunity for those distant from London to mark the historic haul of medals.
Princess Anne introduces Lord Coe to her mother, The Queen at a Team GB reception yesterday (@RoyalFamily)
Prime Minister Theresa May was seen in a deep curtsey to the Monarch as she was greeted.
The Olympians shared the stories of their success, with The Queen joking to one athlete about her crutches: “Did you do that recently?”
Watch a clip from the reception below:
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry welcome the @TeamGB and @ParalympicsGB medallists to Buckingham Palace! #GBHeroesLDN pic.twitter.com/XFKUlojyRT
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 18, 2016
