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Princess Royal Princess Anne has arrived in Paris for the start of the 2024 Olympic Games. This 12-day trip to France marks her first major international engagement since suffering a serious incident with a horse back in June. The 73-year-old arrived at the airport in Paris on Monday ahead of the opening of the Games later this week. She is one of many royals from around the world who have traveled to Paris to attend the Olympics.
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Upon arrival, Princess Anne met with Britain's ambassador to France before attending a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As President of the British Olympic Association, Anne is a long-standing member of the IOC. The organization oversees the planning and execution of the Olympic Games. It counts many royal figures among its membership, including Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, and royals from Qatar, Jordan, and Bhutan. Former King Frederick IX of Denmark also previously served as an IOC member.
Over the next two weeks, Princess Anne will attend several events related to the Paris 2024 Olympics. She is scheduled to meet with members of Team GB as well as meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. Anne will also pay tribute to Edwin Flack, the Australian runner who won gold in the 400m sprint at the 1900 Paris Olympics. His victory inspired the film Chariots of Fire.
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The trip to Paris marks Princess Anne's gradual return to royal duties following a serious equestrian accident in June. While riding on her Gatcombe Park estate, she suffered a suspected concussion after an incident with a horse that required nearly three weeks in the hospital. During her first public appearance after the accident last month, Anne said she could not remember anything about what happened.
A Passion for Equestrian Competition
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The Olympic Games hold a special significance for Princess Anne, given her own history with equestrian competition. In 1976, she became the first member of the British Royal Family to compete at an Olympics when she represented Great Britain at the Montreal Summer Games. Riding Queen Elizabeth's horse Goodwill, Anne took part in the three-day eventing competition. While she suffered a fall during the cross-country portion, her participation went down in history.
Thirty-six years later at the 2012 London Olympics, Anne watched proudly as her daughter Zara Tindall won a silver medal in eventing. In a sweet nod to her mother's pioneering Olympic efforts and lifelong role as president of the British Olympic Association, it was Princess Anne who presented Zara with her medal.
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Zara followed in the footsteps of both her parents by becoming an elite equestrian. Her mother Anne and father Mark Phillips both competed at past Olympic Games, with Mark helping Great Britain win team gold in 1972. Like them, Zara took up riding from a young age but focused seriously on eventing after university with the goal of Olympic success. She finally achieved this dream by winning silver for Great Britain at the home games in London.
Princess Anne: A Driving Force for Equestrian Sport
Throughout her life, Princess Anne has played a leading role in promoting and developing equestrian sport both at home and abroad. In addition to her Olympic appearance and forty-year presidency of the British Olympic Association, she has served as president of the International Equestrian Federation since 1986.
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Under Anne's leadership, equestrian sports have grown tremendously in popularity and competitiveness on the global stage. She was a founding member of the sponsorship and fundraising Body Sport Association and has worked to boost opportunities for young riders to develop their skills and compete at top levels. Anne also supports numerous charities for disabled and disadvantaged riders through the Riding for the Disabled Association, where she has been patron since 1971.
Given her storied career as both an Olympic competitor and lifelong advocate, Princess Anne's attendance at the Paris 2024 Games carries great significance. As the first member of the royal family to compete and now president of the British Olympic Association for four decades, she will no doubt take pride in watching Team GB's equestrian athletes with daughter Zara Tindall. Her pioneering efforts have helped ensure equestrian sport maintains its place on sport's biggest stage and inspired generations of athletes like Zara to chase their Olympic dreams.
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In visiting Paris for the Olympics' opening weeks, Princess Anne continues her return to public duties following her horse accident recovery. Her presence celebrating these Games is a testament to her passionate support of the Olympic movement from its earliest days to the present.
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