Queen Elizabeth II to open 2012 Olympics
(CBS/AP) Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, will open the 2012 Olympic Games this summer in London, Buckingham Palace said Monday.
The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh will perform the ceremonial role at the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium when the games begin on July 27. They also will open the Paralympic Games on Aug. 29.
The British royals have long been strong supporters of the Olympics. The queen also opened the 1976 Games in Canada, where she is the head of state, while Philip did so on her behalf at Melbourne, Australia, in 1956.
The Olympics were last held in the U.K. in 1948 and were opened by the queen's father, King George VI.
Younger members of the royal family are also getting into the Olympic spirit - Prince William, his wife, Kate, and Prince Harry have been named official ambassadors for Britain's Olympic and Paralympic teams.