When the Duchess of Cambridge and her fellow 2012 ambassadors, Princes William and Harry, dropped in on athletes at the Olympic village, thrilled competitors savoured every moment. Swimmer Rebecca Adlington looked particularly delighted to see Kate – and complimented the royal on her navy wedges.
"I just love her shoes. They're much nicer than the sports gear we're wearing this week," she said.Rebecca has already bagged bronze in the 400m freestyle, but she is almost as famous for her love of a fierce pair of heels than for her prowess in the pool. Like the Duchess, she is a big fan of Jimmy Choo and was presented with a pair of the label's golden heels by her local mayor after victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The royals made their surprise visit after watching the Princes' cousin Zara Philips claim a silver medal as part of Britain's equestrian team.
Clearly still on a high, they laughed and joked with the Olympic aces they hope can add to the UK's tally of medals. On meeting the female handball team, Harry quipped that his brother didn't know the rules of the game. The third-in-line was also given a huge toy kangaroo as a gift from Australian athletes.