Princess Anne, an Olympic silver medallist, played an integral role in securing the 2012 Olympics for London, but she once made a candid comment that was inadvertently broadcast to fellow committee members.
Sharing the story in ITV's documentary Anne: The Princess Royal at 70, Sebastian Coe recalled an incident during a bid meeting. "She doesn't always suffer fools gladly," he said. "After a rather long-winded interjection by one of the committee members, she had actually forgotten to turn her microphone off. She managed to mutter the immortal words: 'I think this person is probably the most stupid person in world sport.'"
Despite the awkward moment, Anne remained unflustered. Coe described: "This echoed around the room and she never flinched. It was as though it never happened, and we just moved on."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised Anne's contribution, saying: "She was absolutely integral to our winning the bid." Anne herself remarked after the 2005 announcement: "I really think the team have earned it, they've done a fantastic job."
Her daughter Zara Tindall went on to compete at the 2012 Games, winning a silver medal, which Anne presented to her. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Prince Harry were among those cheering loudly.
