Sir Chris Hoy won his fifth Olympic gold medal in the team sprint on Friday morning (NZT) to equal the tally of another sir, Steve Redgrave, and burst into tears.
Zara Phillips, the Queen's granddaughter, won silver in the team's event but wouldn't dare cry. Stiff upper lip, and all that.
These are the Royal Games and the royals are taking advantage. It started with the Queen starring with James Bond in the opening ceremony and quickly moved on to Phillips' exploits in equestrian's three-day event.
Phillips won silver in the team's competition and, if you look at it one way (the British tabloids contemplated it before backing off), cost Great Britain gold when she knocked down a rail in the show jumping phase.
She was presented with her medal by her mother Princess Anne - another Olympic first - and the pair exchanged a kiss on each cheek as hundreds of photographers captured the moment.
As much a s Phillips went out of her way to be treated like any other competitor at the eventing competition, it's not that simple when you're the Queen's granddaughter and your support crew need a massive security detail. Sitting in the stands were her family and friends who are some of the world's most recognisable people.
Among them was husband Mike Tindall - the English rugby player with the fetish for dwarf throwing and cuddling blondes - who spent most of the time giving a running commentary for his 49,554 followers on twitter.
'In she goes," he breathlessly tweeted along with a picture of Phillips riding into the Greenwich Park arena before following it up with, "woooooooooooooooooooooo clear with 1 time team GB silver Medal get in you beauty".
It's difficult to know what the Queen makes of all of this, but the younger royals have helped connect with a younger audience.
They are accessible - so accessible, in fact, this writer turned to find Phillips casually walking behind him in the media centre. I opened the door for her and she smiled but didn't say thank you. I guess you don't need to when you are a royal - and happier to show some emotion.
Wills and Kate wildly cheered on Sir Chris Hoy and the Great Britain team sprinters and then embraced in a rare public display of affection when they won gold and broke the world record. Polite applause and a smile wouldn't do for them this time.
They took part in a Mexican wave, much to the delight of the 6000-strong crowd in the velodrome, and it was enough to persuade Prime Minister David Cameron to join them. He didn't look entirely comfortable but probably thought it would be worth a few votes at the next general election.
Brits everywhere are immersing themselves in these Games. They are revelling in Great Britain's success but appreciating what the Olympics have to offer and the people who compete in them.
They even cheered one hopelessly inferior competitor in the women's 100m freestyle who didn't know how to tumble turn and finished a distant last in her heat. There's an argument she shouldn't be competing at the Olympics, the pinnacle of sport, but the British public didn't care.
For a second, she might have even felt like royalty. One more at the London Games wouldn't hurt.
