In pictures: Captains rub shoulders with royals ahead of World Cup 2019

Captains of cricket teams that are participating in the tournament meet royals at Buckingham Palace.
Published May 30, 2019

The International Cricket Council World Cup 2019 officially kicked off at The Oval on Thursday, where South Africa are playing England.

Before the match started, Prince Harry chatted with the flag bearers and posed for pictures. He also addressed the crowd at The Oval which was bedecked with balloons featuring flags of the contesting teams. Britain Prime Minister Theresa May was also among the spectators.

The celebrations of the tournament, however, had began yesterday as London hosted an "opening party" after the captains of cricket teams that are contesting in the World Cup rubbed shoulders with the royals at the Buckingham Palace.

Britain's Prince Harry makes a speech during the opening ceremony of the World Cup 2019 opening cricket match between England and South Africa at The Oval, London on May 30. — AP
Britain's Prince Harry makes a speech during the opening ceremony of the World Cup 2019 opening cricket match between England and South Africa at The Oval, London on May 30. — AP

Britain Prime Minister Theresa May attends during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between England and South Africa at The Oval in London on May 30. — AFP
Britain Prime Minister Theresa May attends during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between England and South Africa at The Oval in London on May 30. — AFP

Balloons featuring the colours of the competing nations are displayed before the start of the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between England and South Africa at The Oval, London on May 30. — AFP
Balloons featuring the colours of the competing nations are displayed before the start of the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between England and South Africa at The Oval, London on May 30. — AFP

General view of the trophy being carried by a performer during the opening ceremony before the match at The Oval, London on May 30. — Reuters
General view of the trophy being carried by a performer during the opening ceremony before the match at The Oval, London on May 30. — Reuters

Britain's Prince Harry during the opening ceremony before the match at The Oval, London on May 30. — Reuters
Britain's Prince Harry during the opening ceremony before the match at The Oval, London on May 30. — Reuters

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex poses with children as he attends the opening match of the World Cup 2019 between England and South Africa at The Oval in London on May 30. — Reuters
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex poses with children as he attends the opening match of the World Cup 2019 between England and South Africa at The Oval in London on May 30. — Reuters

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks to a flag bearer as he attends the opening match of the World Cup 2019 between England and South Africa at The Oval in London on May 30, 2019 — Reuters
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks to a flag bearer as he attends the opening match of the World Cup 2019 between England and South Africa at The Oval in London on May 30, 2019 — Reuters

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex chats to South Africa's captain Faf du Plessis, (C), Pakistan's captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (L) and Sri Lanka's captain Dimuth Karunaratne (R) during a meeting with the captains of the cricket teams participating in the World Cup 2019, in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace, London on May 29. — AFP
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex chats to South Africa's captain Faf du Plessis, (C), Pakistan's captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (L) and Sri Lanka's captain Dimuth Karunaratne (R) during a meeting with the captains of the cricket teams participating in the World Cup 2019, in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace, London on May 29. — AFP

Britain's Prince Harry meets England cricket captain Eoin Morgan, second right, Australia captain Aaron Finch, second left, Bangladesh captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza, centre, and India captain Virat Kohli during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London on May 29. — AP
Britain's Prince Harry meets England cricket captain Eoin Morgan, second right, Australia captain Aaron Finch, second left, Bangladesh captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza, centre, and India captain Virat Kohli during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London on May 29. — AP

Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets West Indies cricket captain Jason Holder, right, South Africa cricket captain Francois du Plessis, left, and Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London on May 29. — AP
Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets West Indies cricket captain Jason Holder, right, South Africa cricket captain Francois du Plessis, left, and Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London on May 29. — AP

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II chats to England's captain Eoin Morgan (2R), Afghanistan's captain Gulbadin Naib, (L), Australia's captain Aaron Finch (2L), Bangladesh's captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza (3L) and India's captain Virat Kohli (R) in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace, London on May 29. — AFP
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II chats to England's captain Eoin Morgan (2R), Afghanistan's captain Gulbadin Naib, (L), Australia's captain Aaron Finch (2L), Bangladesh's captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza (3L) and India's captain Virat Kohli (R) in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace, London on May 29. — AFP

Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets, from left, Afghanistan cricket captain Gulbadin Naib, Australia captain Aaron Finch, Bangladesh captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza and England captain Eoin Morgan during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London on May 29. — AP
Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets, from left, Afghanistan cricket captain Gulbadin Naib, Australia captain Aaron Finch, Bangladesh captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza and England captain Eoin Morgan during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London on May 29. — AP

Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets England cricket captain Eoin Morgan, centre, India captain Virat Kohli, right, and Bangladesh captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London on May 29. — AP
Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets England cricket captain Eoin Morgan, centre, India captain Virat Kohli, right, and Bangladesh captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London on May 29. — AP

Header image: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II joins the captains of the teams taking part in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 for a photograph in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace, before a Royal Garden Party in London on May 29. Back row from left, Pakistan's Sarfaraz Ahmed, South Africa's Francois du Plessis, Bangladesh's Masrafe Bin Mortaza, Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Afghanistan's Gulbadin Naib. Front row from left, West Indies' Jason Holder, Australia's Aaron Finch, England's Eoin Morgan and India's Virat Kohli. — AP