The British Olympic Association is being represented by its President, HRH The Princess Royal, at the Olympic Flame Handover Ceremonies taking place today and tomorrow in Athens, Greece.
HRH The Princess Royal is part of an Official Delegation from Great Britain that also includes London 2012 Chairman Lord Sebastian Coe; London Mayor Boris Johnson; and Sport and the Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson MP.
A highly accomplished equestrian athlete, HRH The Princess Royal competed for Team GB at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She also won a silver medal in both the individual and team disciplines at the 1975 European Evening Championship.
The Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony will take place this evening at Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. Tomorrow, the Olympic Flame will be transported to Great Britain on British Airways Flight #2012, which has been specially painted in gold, and will arrive at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall.
The Olympic Flame will then begin its 70-day journey to London – the only city to be honoured as host of the Olympic Games on three occasions – on Saturday, 19th May in Lands End. Three-time Olympic gold medalist and 2012 Olympian Ben Ainslie will carry the torch on the historic first leg of the relay.
BOA Chairman Lord Colin Moynihan was also invited to participate in the ceremonies as a member of the Official Delegation, but has suffered a loss in his family and is unable to do so.