Royal salute to Little Mermaid: Queen and Duchess celebrate Britain's Olympic and Paralympic stars at Buckingham Palace

Delight: Ellie Simmonds, wearing her two gold medals, is congratulated by the Queen
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Effortlessly beautiful: The Duchess of Cambridge looked elegant in a black gown by Alice Temperley teamed with a small black clutch and heels at a reception for Great Britain's sporting stars at Buckingham Palace

Celebratory reception: The Duchess of Cambridge pictured talking to Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin, and Scott Brash during a reception for


Warm welcome: The Duchess of Cambridge greeted the medal winners to congratulate them on their success


Charming company: The Duchess of Cambridge pictured centre talking to the women's Hockey team during a reception for Team GB Medallists at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Captivating: The Duchess of Cambridge and Gymnast Beth Tweddle discuss the difficulties of her sport
Greeting the champions: The Duchess of Cambridge meets Heather Stanning, centre, and Helen Glover

Going for gold: The Duchess of Cambridge inspects Lee Pearson's gold medal for the team dressage

A funny evening: The women's Hockey team laugh at a joke with the Duchess of Cambridge at a reception held in their honour

One on one: The Duchess of Cambridge shares a one on one chat with Paralympic Swimmer Stephanie Millward

Royal reception: Queen Elizabeth II meets wheelchair racer David Weir who has won a total of six medals at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympics

Fighting spirit: The Queen talks to Boxer Luke Campbell who won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in the bantamweight division

Cycling to success: Princess Anne meets 20-year-old cyclist Laura Trott, centre, and fellow GB athletes at the reception

Fellow guests: Prime Minister David Cameron talks to sport shooter Peter Wilson and swimmer Rebecca Adlington
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