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List of royal Olympians

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Mark Phillips and Princess Anne, two British royal Olympians that competed in equestrian events

Multiple members of royal families from various countries, including reigning monarchs, have competed in the Olympic Games. Some, such as Constantine II, Harald V, and Felipe VI, competed before becoming monarchs. Abbie Pratt, Mark Phillips, Charlene, and Iñaki Urdangarin all competed before becoming royalty through marriage.

The tradition of royalty competing in the Olympics dates back to the Ancient Olympics, with leaders including King Varazdat of Armenia, Princess Cynisca of Sparta, and Emperor Nero of Rome all having competed.[1][2][3] The first royals to compete in the modern Olympics appeared at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[4][5] Abbie Pratt was the first royal to place in the top three at the modern Olympics, winning third place in the women's individual golf competition in 1900.[a] The most recent royal Olympian is Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics.[6]

The royal to compete the most times in the Olympics is Hubertus von Hohenlohe, who competed in the Winter Olympics six times.[7] Five Olympians have come from the Spanish royal family, while four have come from the House of Glücksburg; Queen Sofía, who was a member of the 1960 Greek dragon team as a reserve member, is a member of both families.[8] Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum was the first woman to represent the United Arab Emirates at the Olympics, while Arunee Bhanubandh was the first woman to represent Thailand at the Olympics.[9] Adegboyega Folaranmi Adedoyin, the son of a Remo king, is the only member of an African royal dynasty to have participated.[10]

List

[edit]
Royal Olympians
Olympian Royal family Country represented Sport Olympics Olympic medal(s) Refs.
Joseph, Prince de Caraman-Chimay
 House of Riquet de Caraman FranceFrance Fencing 1900 Paris None [4]
Freydoun Malkom
 Malkom[b] IranIran Fencing 1900 Paris None [5]
Louis Napoléon Murat
 Murat FranceFrance Equestrianism 1900 Paris None [11]
Abbie Pratt
 House of Karađorđević (by marriage) FranceFrance[c] Golf 1900 Paris 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Women's individual, 1900 [8][13][12]
Gabriele D'Annunzio
 D'Annunzio[d] ItalyItaly Art competition 1912 Stockholm None [14]
Ernest zu Hohenlohe
 Hohenlohe AustriaAustria Fencing 1912 Stockholm None [15]
Friedrich Karl of Prussia
 House of Hohenzollern GermanyGermany Equestrianism 1912 Stockholm 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Team jumping, 1912 [8][16]
Dmitri Pavlovich
 House of Romanov RussiaRussia Equestrianism 1912 Stockholm None [8][17]
Olav V
 House of Glücksburg NorwayNorway Sailing 1928 Amsterdam 1st place, gold medalist(s) Six metre, 1928 [18][19][20]
Gustaf Adolf
 House of Bernadotte SwedenSweden Equestrianism 1936 Berlin None [21]
Mohammad Asif Shazada
 Durrani dynasty AfghanistanAfghanistan Field hockey 1936 Berlin None [22]
Shuja ud-Din
 Durrani dynasty AfghanistanAfghanistan Field hockey 1936 Berlin None [23]
Mohammad Sultan
 Durrani dynasty AfghanistanAfghanistan Field hockey 1936 Berlin None [24]
Adegboyega Folaranmi Adedoyin
 Adedoyin United KingdomGreat Britain[e] Athletics 1948 London None [10]
Constantin von Liechtenstein
 House of Liechtenstein LiechtensteinLiechtenstein Alpine skiing 1948 St. Moritz None [25][26]
Birabongse Bhanudej
 Chakri dynasty ThailandThailand Sailing
None [18][19][27]
Max von Hohenlohe
 Hohenlohe-Langenburg LiechtensteinLiechtenstein Alpine skiing 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo None [25][28]
Constantine II of Greece
 House of Glücksburg GreeceGreece Sailing 1960 Rome 1st place, gold medalist(s) Dragon, 1960 [18][19]
Karni Singh
 Bikaner IndiaIndia Shooting
None [29]
Queen Sofía of Spain
GreeceGreece Sailing[f] 1960 Rome 1st place, gold medalist(s) Dragon, 1960 [8]
Aga Khan IV
 Fatimid dynasty IranIran Alpine skiing 1964 Innsbruck None [8][30]
Arunee Bhanubandh
 Chakri dynasty (by marriage) ThailandThailand Sailing 1964 Tokyo None [31]
Harald V
 House of Glücksburg NorwayNorway Sailing
None [18][19][32]
Juan Carlos I
 Spanish royal family SpainSpain Sailing 1972 Munich None [33][8]
Mark Phillips
 British royal family (by marriage) United KingdomGreat Britain Equestrianism
[18][19][34]
Anne, Princess Royal
 British royal family United KingdomGreat Britain Equestrianism 1976 Montreal None [18][19][35][36]
Hubertus von Hohenlohe
 Hohenlohe-Langenburg MexicoMexico Alpine skiing
None [7][37]
Infanta Cristina of Spain
 Spanish royal family SpainSpain Sailing 1988 Seoul None [19][38]
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
 House of Grimaldi MonacoMonaco Bobsleigh
None [18][19]
Felipe VI
 Spanish royal family SpainSpain Sailing 1992 Barcelona None [18][19][39]
Iñaki Urdangarin
 Spanish royal family (by marriage) SpainSpain Handball
[18][19]
Pengiran Muda Abdul Hakeem
 House of Bolkiah BruneiBrunei Shooting
None [40]
Charlene, Princess of Monaco
 House of Grimaldi (by marriage) South AfricaSouth Africa Swimming 2000 Sydney None [18][19]
Princess Haya bint Hussein
JordanJordan Equestrianism 2000 Sydney None [18][19][41]
Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
 House of Maktoum United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates Shooting
None [8][6]
Ahmed Al-Maktoum
 House of Maktoum United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates Shooting
1st place, gold medalist(s) Men's double trap, 2004 [42]
Abdullah bin Mutaib Al Saud
 House of Saud Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia Equestrianism
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Team jumping, 2012 [8][43]
Faisal Al-Shalan
 House of Saud Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia Equestrianism 2008 Beijing None [8][44]
Maitha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum
 House of Al Falasi United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates Taekwondo 2008 Beijing None [18][19][9]
Princess Nathalie
 Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg DenmarkDenmark Equestrianism
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Team dressage, 2008 [8][45]
Zara Tindall
 British royal family United KingdomGreat Britain Equestrianism 2012 London 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Team eventing, 2012 [18][19][46]
Juma Al Maktoum
 House of Maktoum United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates Shooting 2012 London None [8][47]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Pratt is retroactively considered a bronze medalist, although medals were not awarded in all events at the 1900 Summer Olympics.
  2. ^ Freydoun Malkom was awarded the title of prince despite not being related to the Shah.[5]
  3. ^ Although Pratt was an American, the International Olympic Committee recognizes her as having represented France because she played for the Dinard Golf Club.[12]
  4. ^ Gabriele D'Annunzio was the Prince of Montenevoso as well as the duce of the short-lived Regency of Carnaro.
  5. ^ Prince Adedoyin represented Great Britain because Nigeria was not yet recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1948.[10]
  6. ^ Sofía was a reserve member of the Greek dragon team and did not herself compete.[8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Armenians in Olympic Games and Varazdat: Armenian King Who Won a Gold Medal". horizonweekly.ca. 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  2. ^ Mathew, Philip. "Cynisca of Sparta". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  3. ^ "Olympedia – Nero, Emperor of Roma". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  4. ^ a b "Olympedia – Joseph, Prince de Caraman-Chimay". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  5. ^ a b c "Olympedia – Freydoun Malcolm Khan". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  6. ^ a b "Olympedia – Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  7. ^ a b "Olympedia – Hubertus von Fürstenberg-von Hohenlohe". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Royal Participation at the Olympics". www.topendsports.com. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  9. ^ a b "Olympian, Martial Arts Master & Equestrian Expert: Everything To Know About HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum". Grazia Middle East. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  10. ^ a b c "Prince Adegboyega Adedoyin". olympics.com.
  11. ^ "Olympedia – Louis Napoléon Murat". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  12. ^ a b "Paris 1900 Golf Individual women Results". olympics.com.
  13. ^ "Olympedia – Abbie Pratt". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  14. ^ "Olympedia – Gabriele D'Annunzio". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  15. ^ "Olympedia – Ernst, Prinz zu Hohenlohe". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  16. ^ "Olympedia – Friedrich Karl, Prinz von Preußen". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  17. ^ "Olympedia – Dmitry, Grand Duke Pavlovich". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "14 Royals Who Have Competed in the Olympics". Town & Country. 2024-07-25. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Crosbie, Eve; Lakritz, Talia. "14 royals who have competed in the Olympics". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  20. ^ Flint, Peter B. (1991-01-18). "Olav V, Norway's King 33 Years And Resistance Hero, Dies at 87". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  21. ^ "Olympedia – Prins Gustaf Adolf". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  22. ^ "Olympedia – Mohammad Asif". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  23. ^ "Olympedia – Shuja ud-Din". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  24. ^ "Olympedia – Mohammad Sultan". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  25. ^ a b "Liechtenstein at the Winter Olympics". www.topendsports.com. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  26. ^ "Olympedia – Constantin von und zu Liechtenstein". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  27. ^ Bishop, Matt (2024-07-16). "The lonely death of B Bira, Thai racing prince, adventurer and Olympian". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  28. ^ "Olympedia – Max, Prinz von Hohenlohe". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  29. ^ "Olympedia – Karni Singh". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  30. ^ Ress, Paul Evan (10 August 1964). "Prince Karim Aga Khan". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Olympedia – Arunee, Princess Bhanubandh". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  32. ^ "H.R.H. Crown Prince Harald". olympics.com.
  33. ^ "Olympedia – Juan Carlos, Príncipe Herdeiro de Borbón". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  34. ^ "Mark Anthony Peter Phillips". olympics.com.
  35. ^ "The Princess Royal and the Olympics". www.royal.uk. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  36. ^ "HRH Princess Anne". olympics.com.
  37. ^ "Hubertus von Hohenlohe: A Fusion of Artistic and Athletic Performance". athletamag.com. 2025-01-30. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  38. ^ "Olympedia – Cristina, Princesa de Borbón". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  39. ^ Bregman, Scott (29 April 2024). "King Felipe VI of Spain on Barcelona 1992 legacy: "The whole of Spain felt an enormous sense of pride."". olympics.com.
  40. ^ "Olympedia – Jefri Bolkiah, Prince Abdul Hakeem". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  41. ^ Thomas, Katie (2010-09-24). "Princess Shakes Up Equestrian World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  42. ^ "Olympedia – Ahmed Al-Maktoum". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  43. ^ "Olympedia – Prince Abdullah Al-Saud". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  44. ^ "Olympedia – Prince Faisal Al-Shalan". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  45. ^ "Olympedia – Nathalie til Sayn-Wittgenstein". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  46. ^ "Zara Phillips". olympics.com.
  47. ^ "Olympedia – Sheikh Juma Al-Maktoum". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
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