William, Kate and Harry Named Ambassadors for London Olympics [PHOTOS]

Palace officials have announced that Kate Middleton will join Prince William and Prince Harry as official ambassadors for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

And what better public figures to have as British ambassadors than the young royals? Since Kate Middleton and Prince William got engaged, and then married in April this year, their popularity has soared. The pair have also attracted international attention following a number of official royal duties and tours that have taken them to the United States, Canada, Denmark as well as a host of locations throughout the country.

The decision to position the royal trio as ambassadors stems from a long history of interest in sport by the royal family. The Duchess of Cambridge took part in many sports during her university years including hockey, netball, rowing and tennis.

Likewise, Prince William has been an avid fan and player of a range of sports including cross-country running, rugby, football, polo and hockey. In 2006, he was also elected president of the English Football Association.

Similarly, Prince Harry is a devoted polo player, playing through the summer to raise money for his charity, Sentebale, which helps orphans in Lesotho.

As ambassadors, the royal trio will tour the country with athletes to raise awareness of the Olympics, and in particular will highlight the role of the Paralympic Games.

"Catherine, Harry and I are honoured to be ambassadors for Team GB and Paralympics GB. We are hugely looking forward to this incredible sporting competition, but are also looking beyond next summer's Games to the springboard it will provide for future success," Prince William said in a statement.

The Olympic Games will take place from July 27 to Aug. 12 next year, with the Paralympics running from Aug. 29 to Sep. 9. The 2012 Olympic Games will be the third time that London has hosted the event, a record for one city. It also hosted the Olympics in 1908 and 1948.

To view photos of the royal trio, click 'start' to being the slideshow.