Ever since the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011, it seems like a lot of people (or maybe just American women?) have caught royal fever in the States. A lot of our pop culture magazines and websites now have sections dedicated to the royal family, and TV channels hold special interviews and shows in addition to live coverage of certain British events.

When we found out that Will, Kate and Harry would be among those welcoming the Olympic Torch to Buckingham Palace on Thursday, July 26th we knew that it was something we needed to attend. We arrived about an hour-and-a-half or so before the flame was scheduled to arrive and there were already people lining the gates in front of Buckingham, along the Mall and on the steps of the Queen Victoria Memorial monument. We asked the police and security guards where the flame would travel and decided to camp out directly in front of the gates in hope of seeing Will, Kate, and Harry. The newscasters, journalists and official London 2012 photographers were just to our left so we knew that was a good sign! You could sense and hear the anticipation of seeing the Olympic Torch and royals among the crowd as palace staff, invited guests and other members of the royal family began to come out of Buckingham.

At just after 6:30 p.m., to the sound of chants and cheers, Will, Kate and Harry walked out in front of Buckingham Palace with what looked like members of Team Great Britain. The three of them were chatting with the athletes and then stood to take pictures when the Olympic Torch finally arrived. They were out front for not more than 10 to 15 minutes, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see them up close and in person. We've always seen the crowds packed in front of Buckingham during the wedding and Jubilee celebrations, so it was amazing to finally be one of those many faces in the crowd. The audience was full of Americans, Britons and many other nations and we all seemed very excited to catch a glimpse of the royals.

We joked about seeing Will, Kate and Harry before we left for London so it was awesome that we had the opportunity, especially within just a few hours of being in London.

This picture was taken with my iPhone standing directly in front of Buckingham Palace just past the main gates.

Here is the same photo zoomed in. It's really them!

*Editor's note: William, Kate and Harry are the official ambassadors for the British Olympic team. The royal family will make several appearances at the Olympic Games in coming weeks.