Monaco’s Prince Albert has arrived in China for the Olympic games.
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The prince jetted into Beijing on Monday (04.08.08) by private plane and was greeted at Beijing Capital International Airport by China’s assistant foreign minister Wu Hongbo.
Albert – a former Winter Olympic bobsleigh competitor – will observe events in the capital when the games begin tomorrow (08.08.08), and will also travel to Hong Kong to watch the equestrian events and visit Qingdao to see the sailing.
Prince Albert, a member of the International Olympic Committee, has previously expressed his wish to attend the Beijing Olympic Games. During a state visit to China in April 2007, he said: “It will be of far-reaching significance.”
Later on Monday, Qatar’s Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani also arrived to watch the world-famous sporting event. He was greeted by Zhang Xinsheng, Chinese government representative and deputy Minister of Education.
Other royal guests at the games are expected to include Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Britain’s Princess Anne, whose daughter Zara Phillips was due to compete in an equestrian event at the games but had to pull out when her horse suffered an injury.
