Olympic Feature: Royalty spotting at Olympic rowing

His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales KG, His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and the Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal all came to Eton Dorney.

The British Royals have a significant sporting history. The Princess Royal is president of the British Olympic Association and a UK member of the International Olympic Committee and also a board member of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, LOCOG. She is also an Olympian, competing in the 1976 Montreal Games in Three Day Eventing, a sport in which her daughter, Zara Phillips, won a silver medal in yesterday.

Prince Harry is a keen sportsman, playing polo regularly for the army, as well as being interested in rugby union and football. His older brother, Prince William, also enjoys football.

For Great Britain it was a good day to watch rowing with the nation picking up two medals. Great Britain’s Heather Stanning and Helen Glover made history by becoming the first women to ever win a rowing gold medal at the Olympics as well as getting the country’s first gold medal of these Olympic Games. The British men’s eight rowed to a bronze medal to add to Great Britain’s tally.

A number of British politicians had a look at rowing today. Jeremy Hunt MP (Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport) Hugh Robertson (Minister for Sport and The Olympics) and former Prime Minister John Major were all spotted.

Four time Olympic Champion and eight-time World Champion, sprinter Michael Johnson from the United States enjoyed the racing. Johnson was one of the 2012 Olympic torch bearers.