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Another royal visit for Olympic village

Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have dropped in on the British Olympic team's official residence to wish them good luck and to admire the bronze medal won by swimmer Rebecca Adlington.

Tuesday's royal visit caught dozens of athletes by surprise. Adlington, who has a passion for fashion, told the duchess she loved her navy wedges - and kept gushing about them afterward. "I just love her shoes. They're much nicer than the sports gear we're wearing this week," said Adlington, who took bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.

William and Harry, both wearing white Olympics shirts, toured the quarters for the women's handball players. Harry joked that his brother didn't know the rules, but William said he'd been reading up on the sport. Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne visited the village on Saturday.

Even with Prince William watching from the stands, Britain's men's water polo team didn't stand a chance against Serbia, falling 21-7 to the gold medal favorites at the London Olympics later Tuesday.

Earlier the young royals had watched Zara Phillips and Team GB perform on the final of the eventing competition in Greenwich Park. The British team won the silver medal. "Unfortunately we couldn't quite do it," the first-time Olympian said on not winning the gold. "We can't be disappointed with a silver medal because it's an amazing thing to be here." © GPD AP

Zara adds to royal silver collection

The queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips added to the family silver on Tuesday, helping team Britain to a second-place finish behind Germany in Olympic equestrian eventing. Many members of the royal family, including Princes William and Harry, William's wife Kate and Princesses Beatric and Eugenie were in the stands to cheer on their cousin as she competed in the show jumping final portion of the three-discipline event.

After racing through the treacherous cross-country course on Monday without any penalties, Phillips knocked down a rail on the second jump Tuesday in the stadium at Greenwich Park. Teammate Nicola Wilson knocked down one as well, dashing Britain's chances for gold. Nevertheless, Phillips' combined score from three days of competition was low enough that she advanced to the individual show jump final Tuesday afternoon where she had a clean, penalty-free round.

Germany went into the event atop the standings and maintained the lead throughout, ending with a final score of 133.7. Britain's final score was 138.2, while New Zealand had 144.4. The United States was seventh with 208.6. In equestrian eventing the lowest penalty score wins. "Unfortunately we couldn't quite do it," Phillips said. "We can't be disappointed with a silver medal because it's an amazing thing to be here."

In the show jump phase of the team event, Phillips incurred four penalty points when her horse, High Kingdom, knocked down the second fence. He completed the rest of the course cleanly, albeit a bit over the 83-second limit. The crowd gasped when the rail came down but applauded warmly as she finished. "It was my fault," Phillips said. "After that he jumped fantastically."

Phillips, a former world and European eventing champion who is 14th in line to the throne, said she had put High Kingdom in a tough takeoff spot as she approached the jump, leaving him little room to maneuver. "I'm just disappointed for the team," she said.

Britain's William Fox-Pitt, who was in 15th place with Lionhart, said the presence of royals in the stands didn't affect Phillips or the rest of the team. "Each of us is in our own bubble out there," he said. "Her family is here to support her and our families are here to support us."

Britain won silver in the 2004 Athens games and bronze in 2008. Germany won gold in the 2008 Olympics and were in first place in Athens but dropped from medal contention after a technicality. Phillips said she appreciated the effort her relatively inexperienced bay gelding gave her, given he lost two shoes during the arduous cross-country portion of the event on Monday.

Then, the 31-year-old granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II scored a penalty-free ride, negotiating High Kingdom over 28 obstacles and a slippery course that claimed a dozen fallen riders. Her score helped bring Britain into second place in the team standings behind Germany heading into the final portion of the event.

As they did on Monday, William and Harry watched the competition from the VIP section of the main equestrian arena, joined by Camilla, Prince Charles' wife, and Phillips' mother Princess Anne, herself an Olympian eventing competitor. [Eventing combines the discipline of dressage with the endurance of cross-country and skill of show jumping.] © GPD AP

NB Zara and her brother Peter Phillips have no royal title despite being in line for the throne, having a royal for a mother and being grandchildren of the Queen. Royal titles however pass through the male line of a monarch; Zara and Peter are female line. And since their father Mark Phillips didn't have a title, he couldn't pass one on. The Queen could have given him one upon the marriage to Princess Anne - so he could have it passed on - but it is said that they asked the queen not to bestow a title. Peter and Zara are happy to be plain Mr. and Mrs.

Zara has golden shine for 'Team GB'

Zara Phillips had a few things to celebrate Monday: Her first wedding anniversary - and a penalty-free ride through the treacherous cross-country portion of the Olympic equestrian eventing competition that counted toward Britain's second place position going into the final round.

Phillips' cousins Princes William and Harry and William's wife Kate along with other members of the Royal Family watched her compete, joining an estimated 50,000 less-regal fans in Greenwich Park to support Phillips as she negotiated her horse over 28 obstacles and a slippery course that claimed a dozen fallen riders.

Hers was one of the top three scores counted in Britain's second-place standings going into Tuesday's final show jumping round with 130.2 points. Germany was in the lead with 124.7 points and Sweden was third with 131.4. The United States was fifth with 155.2. "The crowd was unbelievable!" Phillips said after she finished Day 2 of her Olympic equestrian debut. "I hope I didn't take any heads off on the way cutting corners."

Phillips, a former world and European eventing champion who is 14th in line to the throne, said the only drawback to the raucous cheers was that she couldn't hear the timer on her wrist ticking by. Timer or no, her under-the-limit ride added no further penalty points to her 46.1 score from dressage a day earlier and left her tied for 10th place in the individual standings.

Like golf, the low score wins in equestrian eventing. Germany's Ingrid Klimke, part of the gold-winning German eventing team in 2008, was tied for first place in the individual standings with Sweden's Sara Algotsson Ostholt at 39.3 points.

William and Harry watched the competition from the main equestrian arena, joined by William's wife, Kate, and Camilla, the wife of Prince Charles, along with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the daughters of Prince Andrew. Princess Anne, herself a former Olympian eventing competitor, watched from the grounds of the twisty, hilly course dotted with 28 fences, hedges and water obstacles in Greenwich Park, London's oldest royal park.

Phillips said her time - well inside the 10-minute, 3-second time limit - was particularly good given that her horse, High Kingdom, lost a shoe during the ride. That made it tougher for him to keep his footing and make the quick turns needed to complete the 5.7-kilometer (3.5-mile) course within the time limit. "He did amazing," she said. "He really grew up and stepped up to the plate."

She mentioned that it was a special day for other reasons too: Last July 30, she married England rugby star Mike Tindall in the "other" royal wedding of 2011 that followed William and Kate's nuptials.

On Sunday, Phillips' grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, joined her mother in the VIP stands to watch her earn a respectable score in the dressage portion of her Olympic debut. After cross-country, she'll compete in show jumping Tuesday, the final portion of eventing. The big question is whether her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II - an accomplished equestrian in her own right - will come to watch. © GPD AP

Duchess impresses at Royal Academy

The Duchess of Cambridge talked with Stella McCartney at the Royal Academy of Arts in London for the UK creative industries reception hosted by the British Government, Monday.

The Duchess met up with Prime Minister David Cameron. Her dress was by Roksanda Ilincic, Clarence House confirmed to British media.

Husband Prince William meanwhile watched the Artistic Gymnastic Men's Final of the Summer Olympics, accompanied by his brother Prince Harry.

They had reason to celebrate as Britain's team took its first ever medal (bronze) in the competition in the O2 Arena (with a different name during the Games, North Greenwich Arena).
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Zara has royal support team

Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, had a few royal fans in the stands for her Olympic equestrian debut Sunday. Phillips' grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as her mother, Princess Anne, were in the VIP seats at Greenwhich Park as Phillips competed in the eventing dressage competition.

She rode her horse High Kingdom through the paces of a standard test to demonstrate the horse's obedience and scored a respectable 48.10 penalty points.

Cheers and applause broke out as she rode into the stadium and erupted anew when she finished. Anne, wearing a bright red canvas hat, applauded politely at the end. © GPD AP

London central stage, for Belgian royals too

The world is coming to London, host of the 30th Summer Olympics, which are officially declared open by Queen Elizabeth Friday evening. Ahead of the opening ceremony the queen was host to all the heads of state and their representatives attending the event.

The Belgian royal family is represented by the heir to the throne, Prince Philip, and his wife Princess Mathilde. They also chose London as background for their traditional Summer family pictures. Unlike the Dutch the Belgian crown princely couple do not invite hordes of photographers but instead invite only one photographer.

The Royal Palace released the series of photographs of Philip, Mathilde and their four children on Thursday. They were pictured on various locations, near the Prince Albert Memorial for instance and in the adjoining park.

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Thai royals don't want to block traffic

The king of Thailand wants to help ease Bangkok's legendary traffic jams and other inconveniences - and that means a few changes to the treatment of royals on the roads. On Friday, authorities distributed 25,000 handbooks to police and other officials with guidelines for directing royal convoys and new protocol for public appearances by the extended royal family.

The manual overturns several practices that had quietly irritated the public in a country where open criticism of the royal family is illegal, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The revered 84-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej initiated the plan, saying it was time to change certain outdated protocol. The palace hopes the new rules will end a long-running joke about Bangkok traffic.

"Every time there's a traffic jam, everyone wonders if there's a royal motorcade passing by," palace official Chantanee Thanarak told a police training session held Friday at national police headquarters in Bangkok. "The royal family never meant to bother the public." Until now, the arrival of a royal motorcade has meant police halt traffic in both directions far in advance and for many blocks.

Traffic is also halted on flyovers, for security reasons but also to observe protocol that no head should be higher than a royal's. The measures snarl traffic, require extensive police presence and have been quietly criticized as excessive. From now on, traffic on flyovers will be permitted, as will oncoming traffic on the road opposite a royal motorcade, the manual says.

The period for which traffic is halted will be reduced as will the number of police used for royal road closures. Another new rule: Shopping malls do not have to turn away shoppers if a royal family member shows up. "But be careful not to let people get close to royal family members," the manual says.

The 48-page handbook lays out different security measures to be applied for official or private royal outings. It contains photographs of how to close roads and manage crowds and includes palace phone numbers that authorities can call if questions arise. The manual says the new rules apply to the entire royal family, which would presumably include King Bhumibol himself, although he rarely travels about the capital these days. © GPD AP

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Co-Prince of Andorra meets Prime Minister

François Hollande, Co-Prince of Andorra, met at the Elysée Palace in Paris with his Prime Minister Antoni Marti Petit, and Andorra's Parliament President, Mateu Zamora.

The Principality of Andorra has two heads of state, a custom dating back to its founding years in the 13th century. Through the counts of Foix and the kings of France the presidents of the French republic now also serve as one of two co-princes of the tiny neighbouring country wedged between France and Spain. The bishop of Urgell in Spain serves as the other co-prince.

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Showing up for charity

Prince William and Prince Harry talked to members of Greenhouse during their visit with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge to Bacon's College in London to launch the Coach Core programme, a partnership between their foundation, the Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, and Greenhouse charity, Thursday.

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Princess Sirindhorn visits Singapore

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand visted the newly opened Gardens By The Bay Wednesday, in Singapore. The princess is visiting the city-state where she received an honorary award from the Institute of South East Asian Studies.

© GPD AP