Princess Anne leads European royals stepping out in Paris to support their nation’s teams at the Olympics

British and European royals have stepped out in force in Paris this evening, ahead of the opening of the Olympics 2024.

Princess Anne led the European royals touching down in the French capital, with Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Mary of Denmark and the Belgium royals all putting on glamorous appearances.  

Queen Mary, 52, and King Frederik, 56, looked in great spirits as they participated in the opening of the Danish pavilion at the Maison du Danemark in Champs-Elysees, which will be open throughout the games this summer.

The Australian-born Queen’s outing comes after a resurfaced video saw Mary hit by a mobility scooter while visiting Greenland last month.

In the short clip obtained by Ekstra Bladet, the wife of King Frederik X can be seen greeting fans before being knocked to the ground – which horrified onlookers. The Palace media team confirmed Mary was not hurt during the incident and was able to continue with her planned schedule of events.

But Queen Mary appeared the picture of health today in a stunning red jumpsuit as she joined her husband Frederik to cut the ribbon for the official opening of the Danish pavillion. 

She and Frederik greeted the president of the Olympic committee Thomas Bach in an atmospheric setting in front of the Louvre and the tournament’s famous rings.

Teaming her look with a white blazer, Mary was dressed in her country’s colours, sending a strong message of support to the team. 

Joining the royals stepping out in Paris today was Princess Anne, 73, who has returned to royal duties this month after a horse-related incident that left her with head injuries.

The Princess Royal, who is president of the British Olympic Association, visited Team GB’s pre-games training base in Saint-Germain-En-Laye earlier on Thursday. 

Anne was the first British royal to compete in the Olympics herself, and could be seen wearing a Team GB sweatshirt herself in full support of the team.  

She seemed back to her usual self and was in cheerful spirits as she met and shook hands with some of Britain’s brightest stars, including runners Keely Hodgkinson, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, and twins Laviai and Lina Nielsen. 

Royal fans branded her a ‘royal rock star’ as she made an energetic return to engagements after her time away from the public spotlight. 

Yesterday, she had wished Team GB‘s stars ‘every bit of success and that it goes as well as you hope’ in a speech ahead of the Games.   

Elsewhere, Queen Letizia put on a glamorous display at a glittering reception in honour of the Spanish Olympic team at the country’s embassy in Paris. 

Letizia showed off her toned arms in a jewel-encrusted gown with a stylish maxi skirt. 

Wearing Dior’s Spring Haute Couture collection, Letizia looked her best as she paid tribute to the hosting country in a dress decorated with an exquisite floral pattern – and matching Dior sandals. 

Standing loyally by her husband King Felipe’s side, the royal couple gave a round of applause in honour of the athletes. 

Letizia too has faced a difficult time of late, as her former brother-in-law Jaime del Burgo unleashed a series of claims alleging that she’d had an affair with him during her marriage to King Felipe. 

The Spanish royal household have never confirmed the rumours, and the couple have appeared as strong as ever when attending public engagements.  

In what made for a very royal day indeed, Queen Mathilde of Belgium and King Philippe also arrived in the French capital by train as they prepared to cheer their nation’s sporting stars on. 

Mathilde, 51, looked stylish in a bright orange suit by Dries Van Noten and matching heels – dressing, like Queen Mary, to show her support of her country’s team through colour. 

Queen Mary’s glowing appearance meanwhile comes after resurfaced footage emerged, showing her being hit by a mobility scooter.  

The mother-of-four, 52, cried out as she fell and looked frazzled after the incident, but managed to maintain her composure after regaining her feet. 

Her security guards quickly leapt into action and stopped the scooter from moving any further.

The driver of the scooter appeared more shaken than the Queen following the incident, saying he ‘did not know what happened’.

The elderly man said he had meant to extend his arm toward Queen Mary, hoping she would take it, but hit the accelerator instead.

However, fans and observers have been left asking how a member of the Danish monarchy was even allowed to be put in such a situation.

Speaking to FEMAIL, royal expert Kenth G. Madsen called for a strengthening of security measures at public appearances by monarchs and politicians, citing another recent incident where Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was recently assaulted by a drunk man in Copenhagen.

‘First and foremost, threat assessments must be updated regularly to reflect the current security situation,’ he said.

‘This includes increased surveillance and intelligence as well as closer cooperation with local and international authorities.

‘In addition, the number of bodyguards and security personnel should be increased, and safe zones should be established around public events.

‘Crisis response plans must also be updated and practiced regularly to ensure quick and effective handling of unforeseen events. At the same time, there must be clear lines of communication between all units involved to ensure a coordinated effort.’

Ekstra Bladet‘s royal house commentator, Kim Bach also said that PET –  Denmark’s national security and intelligence service is to blame.

‘They let a vehicle get so close,’ they added. ‘It is strange that they are not more vigilant, just because they are in Greenland…

‘Strange when it’s a vehicle. I know it’s not a Ferrari or a Bentley, but still.’

MailOnline has reached out to PET for comment. 

Mary was visibly shaken after the incident. Her youngest children, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, were just metres away when the monarch was knocked down.

Frederik was also greeting fans nearby when the dark grey scooter struck his wife, causing her to lose her balance.

The Palace media team confirmed Mary was not hurt during the incident and she was able to continue on her planned schedule of events.

A spectator speaking to The Australian revealed how the crowd was left in shock following the incident.

‘I could see how much it hurt her, her eyes watered immediately. It must hurt to be hit at that speed. The police immediately barricaded and removed her from the situation,’ they said.

Both police and palace security were satisfied with the elderly man’s explanation and have ruled the incident an innocent mistake. 

But Queen Mary’s fans, who both applaud and worry about her fondness for being close to the public during walkabouts, raised questions about her security.

‘Why was someone allowed to get so close on a motorised scooter?’ one woman asked in the comments of Instagram account @denmarksqueenmary, who reposted the video.

‘Very weak security. Lucky this just seemed to be an odd incident. Hopefully more sensible measures will be taken by the security team,’ another fan wrote.

‘I know everyone wants to be close to her… but a bit of common sense please,’ pleaded a third.

Some of Mary’s fans feared she was ‘definitely injured’ during the incident but was keeping her pain private.

‘If she wasn’t sore then she would have been the next day,’ one fan said.

‘She is very good at present, as if everything is wonderful, that’s her job,’ said another.

But others sympathised with the scooter user.

‘Actually, looks like a mobility scooter, not a recreational one. So the disabled person was there, like everyone else, close by, as part of the gathered crowd,’ they said.