2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
Officials and guests
Officials and guests
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### Royal Box

Seated in the Royal Box were the [Queen](/wiki/Elizabeth_II "Elizabeth II") and the [Duke of Edinburgh](/wiki/Prince_Philip%2C_Duke_of_Edinburgh "Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh"), the [Prince of Wales](/wiki/Charles_III "Charles III"), and other members of the [British royal family](/wiki/British_royal_family "British royal family"). They were accompanied by [Archbishop of Canterbury](/wiki/Archbishop_of_Canterbury "Archbishop of Canterbury") [Rowan Williams](/wiki/Rowan_Williams "Rowan Williams"), [Prime Minister](/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom") [David Cameron](/wiki/David_Cameron "David Cameron"), [Spouse of the Prime Minister](/wiki/Spouse_of_the_Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom "Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom") [Samantha Cameron](/wiki/Samantha_Cameron "Samantha Cameron"), former Prime Ministers [John Major](/wiki/John_Major "John Major"), [Tony Blair](/wiki/Tony_Blair "Tony Blair") and [Gordon Brown](/wiki/Gordon_Brown "Gordon Brown") and [Mayor of London](/wiki/Mayor_of_London "Mayor of London") [Boris Johnson](/wiki/Boris_Johnson "Boris Johnson"). Officials of the Olympic movement included [President of the IOC](/wiki/President_of_the_International_Olympic_Committee "President of the International Olympic Committee") [Jacques Rogge](/wiki/Jacques_Rogge "Jacques Rogge"), [LOCOG](/wiki/London_Organising_Committee_of_the_Olympic_Games_and_Paralympic_Games "London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games") Chairman [Sebastian Coe](/wiki/Sebastian_Coe "Sebastian Coe") and members of the [IOC](/wiki/IOC "IOC").

### International dignitaries

The ceremony was the largest gathering of world leaders for an Olympic and sporting event in history, surpassing [that of 2008](/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics_opening_ceremony "2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony"). Three multilateral leaders, more than ninety five heads of state and government and representatives from five organisations and one hundred and twenty countries attended.


In what ways was this gathering representative of global politics and diplomacy?