Queen throws Olympic party

Royal guests: Harrison, Redgrave and Lewis

The Queen has hosted a reception for Britain's victorious Olympic squad.

The country's greatest Olympian, five-times gold medallist Steve Redgrave, was among the guests at the Buckingham Palace celebration on Thursday evening.

The athletes received the royal accolade after notching up 11 gold, 10 silver and seven bronze medals in Sydney - Britain's best Olympic tally since Antwerp in 1920.

Rowing star Redgrave chatted to the Queen, but admitted: "I normally like to stay in the background".

'Sir Steve'

He was also shy about speculation that he may be knighted in the New Year's Honours.

"They already think I've been knighted in Germany and call me Sir Steve," he said.

Denise Lewis celebrates her heptathlon victory

Redgrave's rowing colleagues in the gold medal-winning eight were also honoured at the reception.

The eight includes Ben Hunt-Davis, the son of the Duke of Edinburgh's private secretary Brigadier Miles Hunt-Davis.

Other gold medallists at the party included women's heptathlon champion Denise Lewis.

"The Queen said that I must be delighted with my performance and asked me if I was now taking a break," she said.

"I'm maximising my time off but I'll be back in training in January."

Super-heavyweight boxing champion Audley Harrison also met the Queen at the event.

"The Queen knew I was a boxer and we talked about the stadium in Sydney," he said.

He added that life was "very hectic these days".

Members of Britain's successful Paralympic team have been invited to a reception at the Palace early in the New Year.