As the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony begins this evening, talented athletes from around the world will be preparing to compete for their country.

Watching tonight’s ceremony will be Princess Anne, who was herself a competitor at the 1976 Games in Montreal, in the equestrian three-day event.

But she is far from the only royal to have competed at the Olympics.

Anne’s daughter Zara went one better than her by actually winning a medal – a silver at the 2012 London Olympics as part of the British equestrian team.

Zara did not quite match her father Captain Mark Phillips, who won gold at the 1972 games in Munich.

The Monaco royals are just as talented, with husband and wife Prince Albert and Princess Charlenehaving both taken part in the games, in bobsledding and swimming respectively.

And King Constantine II of Greecewon gold in sailing at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

Thai royal Prince Bira of Siam also competed in sailing – at the 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1972 Games – but didn’t manage to secure a medal.

Princess Anne

Princess Anne pictured riding Goodwill in the 1976 Montreal Olympics where she finished 24th overall

Princess Anne was the first of the British Royal Family to compete in the Olympics, at the 1976 Montreal Games.

Known for her love of horses, she took her passion to the highest level and rode the Queen’s horse, Goodwill, in the three-day equestrian event.

She finished 13th in the jumping section and placed 24th overall.

Despite not winning a medal, the Princess Royal was made a Member of the International Olympic Committee in 1988 and even accepted the Olympic flame in Athens ahead of the 2012 games.

The princess had been set to compete in the 1972 Munich Games, but her hopes were dashed when horse Doublet was injured during a training run.

A news report from the time shows Anne training on Doublet in the run-up to the Games.

Captain Mark Phillips

Princess Anne’s former husband, Captain Mark Phillips, also took his love for horse riding to a competitive level – and has won two Olympic medals.

He competed in the 1972 Olympics in Munich and won gold. He and Anne married the following year.

The sportsman then went on to win a silver medal in the 1988 Seoul Games as the fourth member of the equestrian team.

But he had to withdraw from the rest of the event when his horse got injured. He and Anne divorced in 1992.

Captain Mark Phillips pictured with horsewoman Lorna Clarke at a training camp in Seoul ahead of the 1988 Games in South Korea

Mark chatting to British equestrian Virginia Leng at the training camp in Seoul in South Korea

Zara Tindall

Like her mother and father, Zara Tindall also has a passion – and talent – for horse riding and went a step further by winning a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics.

She missed out on the 2004 Athens games and Beijing 2008 due to injuries but made up for her past absence when the competition came to England.

Zara, riding 11-year-old High Kingdom, won silver in the three-day equestrian event.

Her proud husband, Mike Tindall, said at the time: ‘That Olympic silver, in my book, is right up there with my World Cup medal, if not above it, because it was won at the London Games with so much expectation and pressure.

‘When England won the World Cup we were favourites to do so. Team GB’s eventing silver wasn’t expected, so to produce that collective performance was outstanding.

‘Sure, there were tiny margins between gold and silver, just as Jonny Wilkinson’s drop-goal proved to be the tiny margin that won the World Cup.

But for me the Olympics is the No 1 sporting occasion in the world and Zara and the team smashed it.’

Zara Tindall riding 11-year-old High Kingdom in the three-day equestrian event at the London 2012 Olympics

Zara Tindall holding her silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics in Hyde Park

King Constantine II of Greece

The late King Constantine II of Greece was a talented sailor and had great success in the sport.

Starting from the age of 15, Constantine served in his country’s armed forces while attending the different military academies before studying law at the University of Athens.

His athletic ability was proven to the world when hewon a gold medal in Dragon class at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

A close friend of Charles, Constantine was also the godfather of Prince William.

The late King Constantine II of Greece (right) was a talented sailor and had great success in the sport. Above: Constantine on his boat during the 1960 Olympics in Rome

King Constantine pictured on his sail boat during the 1960 Olympics in Rome

Prince Albert II of Monaco

Coming from a family of competitive rowers, Prince Albert of Monaco has strong sporting genes.

The prince was part of Monaco’s bobsleigh team at five Winter Olympics – 1988 Calgary, 1992 Albertville, 1994 Lillehammer, 1998 Nagano and 2002 Salt Lake City.

His best finish was placing 25th in the two-man event at the 1988 Games.

Prince Albert of Monaco pictured competing in the bobsled event at the 1994 Olympics

Prince Albert waving to crowds during the opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics

Princess Charlene

The wife of Monaco’s Prince Albert, Princess Charlene, competed for South Africa in the 2002 Sydney Olympics.

Charlene’s swimming team finishedfifth in the Women’s 4x100m Medley.

She tried to enter the 2008 Olympics but did not qualify and retired from competitive sport in 2007.

The princess met her husband at a swimming competition in 2000 but their relationship was not public until 2006.

The wife of Monaco Prince Albert, Princess Charlene, competed for South Africa in the 2002 Sydney Olympics

Charlene pictured swimming backstroke during the Women’s 100m at the Olympic Aquatic Centre in 2000

Princess Haya bint al Hussein of Jordan

Like Anne and Zara, Princess Haya bint al Hussein of Jordan has a passion for horses.

The princess competed in showjumping at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the flagbearer for her country at the opening ceremony.

She was named Jordan’s Athlete of the Year in 1993 and was the first Arab woman to compete in the equestrian event internationally.

The Oxford graduate went on to be the International Equestrian Federation president in the International Olympic Committee from 2006 to 2014.

Like Anne and Zara, Princess Haya bint al Hussein of Jordan has a passion for horses. The princess competed in showjumping at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the flagbearer for her country at the opening ceremony

Princess Haya competing at the 2000 Sydney Games.She was named Jordan’s Athlete of the Year in 1993 and was the first Arab woman to compete in the equestrian event internationally

Prince Bira of Siam, now Thailand

Prince Bira, formallyBirabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, of Siam, now Thailand, was a talented sportsman.

After a career as a Formula One driver – between 1950 and 1954 – he took up sailing.

The prince represented his country in the Olympics four times between 1956 and 1972.

However, Bira never won a medal in the Games and his best finish was placing 12th in the 1956 Olympics in the two person keelboat event.

Prince Bira (left), formally Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, of Siam, now Thailand was a talented sportsman

Prince Michael of Kent

First cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth, Prince Michael of Kent, was a competitive sportsman in his younger years.

Therower and bobsledderwas on the reserve list for Britain’s bobsleigh team at the 1972 WinterOlympics.

However the royal never managed to compete in the Games.

Prince Michael was in Britain’s reserve bobsleigh squad for the 1972 Winter Olympics. Above: The Prince competing in 1971

A Daily Mail newspaper clipping from 1972 discussing Prince Michael of Kent and the Olympics