The Queen Greets Team GB; Park Redesign Wins Approval; LOCOG Sweeps PR Awards

Queen Greets Olympians, Paralympians

British Olympians and Paralympians were feted Tuesday evening by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace.

Joining the Queen were Prime Minister David Cameron, the Duchess of Cambridge and other royals. It's the first time TeamGB and ParalympicsGB were honored together by the Royal Family.

"I think people will look back and just think, 'what an incredible summer' – success after success, medal after medal and the whole country putting on its very best face for the world," Cameron said. "What matters now is that we maximize the momentum and the legacy following the Olympics and Paralympics."

Cameron had special praise for Her Majesty and her opening ceremony skit with Daniel Craig, the current James Bond.

''To me, Her Majesty the Queen and James Bond are the two coolest things about Britain," the PM said.

"I think it was extremely courageous of Her Majesty to take part and was one of the highlights, not just for Britain, but for the world. ''

Speaking separately to London’s The Sun newspaper, Craig said of the Queen: "I think she did good, I think she did fantastically. I am a big fan of Danny Boyle. He did an amazing job with the Opening Ceremony. I was proud to be a small part of it.

"It was quite surreal to be in the palace with the Queen, but Danny was being lovely, and so was she."

Olympic Park Redevelopment Update

The future of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park can now start to take shape.

On Tuesday, the London Legacy Development Corporation was granted approval for the redesign of the Park.

According to a statement, "a tree-lined promenade, interactive fountain and classic carousel" are part of the new features.

"Achieving planning permission for the South Plaza is another milestone for the Legacy Corporation, bringing us one step closer to realizing Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park," said Dennis Hone, interim CEO of the LLDC.

"Earlier this week the Legacy Corporation began to take control of the Olympic Park. Over the coming months as we inherit more of the Park from the Games organizers we will be able to move on to site and begin its transformation into a new part of the city and a truly unique public space."

Parts of the Park open up in July 27, 2013– the one-year anniversary of the Olympics.

A 28-acre plaza in the "South Park", located between the Orbit, Aquatics Centre and Olympic Stadium, is part of plans to double the amount of open space in the Park from Games-time use. The area will be the last part of the Park to be re-opened to the public, scheduled for spring 2014.

"The South Plaza will be a stunning legacy for London, framed by some of the most iconic sights of the 2012 Games," Mayor Boris Johnson said. "Not only will it form an integral part of the new community we are creating in east London, but this fantastic space will draw millions of visitors each year as they flock to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park."

LOCOG PR Team Sweeps Awards

LOCOG won PR Week's "Gold" honor for Campaign of the Year and PR Professional of the Year for Jackie Brock-Doyle, LOCOG communications director.

The two prizes are the top honors at the awards ceremony.

It's the first time an OCOG has been honored for its PR work in such a fashion.

Judges declared in the Professional of the Year category that the: "formidable Brock-Doyle used all her significant experience to steer the Olympic ship through a myriad of real and potential crisis points, emerging triumphant in August."

LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe was present for the ceremony, as were Joanna Manning-Cooper (head of media and PR); Neil Walker (head of community relations); Andrea Wilson (head of editorial services); Michael Pirrie (Executive Advisor); Annabel Gunnell (Torch Relay media relations); Jayne Pearce (press operations); Craig Beaumont (government relations) and Adrian Bassett, Fran Edwards and Paul Woodmansey (LOCOG senior media advisors).

Written by Ed Hula III

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.