King Charles Pauses Summer Holiday to Issue Heartfelt Message

King Charles and Queen Camilla paused their Scottish break on Sunday to send a heartfelt message as the Olympic Games in Paris came to a close.

The statement from Buckingham Palace read: “My wife joins me in sending our warmest congratulations to the competitors and their support teams from Team GB and across the whole Commonwealth, for their many outstanding successes at the Olympic Games in Paris.

“Your achievements, across so many disciplines, were forged from that invaluable combination of raw talent, true grit and hard toil over many years, burnished these past weeks by sportsmanship and team spirit in the finest tradition of the Games.

“To those who missed out on the greatest prizes, you have most certainly not fallen short in the pride that you, too, have generated for your nations.”

“As we thank France for hosting such a wonderful tournament and look to the Paralympics ahead, I can only say that you have all been an inspiration. Charles R.”

The message followed the King and Queen’s attendance at the Crathie Kirk church near Balmoral on Sunday. They both appeared in good spirits, with Charles smiling as he drove the couple’s car and Camilla waving to gathered crowds. The couple both donned dark suits, with Queen Camilla adding a stylish hat to her ensemble.

The British royal family has a history of Olympic connections. Princess Anne competed at the 1976 Olympics in the equestrian three-day event. Her daughter, Zara Tindall, also an equestrian, won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games, which was presented by her proud mother. Charlene, Princess of Monaco, originally from South Africa, met her husband Prince Albert when she was an Olympic swimmer competing in the 4 x 100 relay in Sydney in 2000. Zara continues her passion for sport, most recently competing at the Hartpury International Horse Trials on Sunday.

Prior to the start of the Olympics, the Princess Royal wished Team GB “every bit of success” as she met with athletes in Paris. Princess Anne, 73, spoke with diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover as they were named as the team’s joint flag bearers ahead of the opening ceremony. This engagement marked her first overseas visit since suffering a concussion and a minor head injury from a horse-related incident in June.

Princess Anne, who is president of the British Olympic Association, gave a speech and posed for a group photograph with members of Team GB at the British embassy in Paris.

On Sunday evening, as the Olympics drew to a close, the Prince and Princess of Wales released a surprise video message in honor of the event. In a new post on their official Instagram account, the royal couple filmed a heartfelt message for Team GB, who are taking home an incredible 65 medals.

Source: Getty, Hello Magazine