Usually President Barack Obama or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are America's foremost foreign policy representatives. On the first day of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, however, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama took the diplomatic lead. The Olympics, in fact, go right along with Mrs. Obama's personal interest in physical fitness and her Let's Move! initiative.

Mrs. Obama visited both American athletes and Queen Elizabeth II, while other U.S.

officials handled other diplomatic duties.

Breakfast With Champions

Early July 27, Mrs. Obama and a delegation including U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Louis Susman hosted a breakfast for America's Olympic delegation.

Mrs. Obama said, "I want you all to know that this summer, people across America are going to be supporting Team USA -- and not just by cheering you on from our living rooms, but also by striving to live up to the example that all of you set."

She added that the Olympians were a special inspiration to the 1.7 million American kids expected to participate in local Olympic and Paralympic sports across the United States on July 28. That event, the first National Let's Move Olympic Fun Day, was organized by Mrs. Obama's office and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

"So whatever happens here, think of all that you're going to be doing for millions of kids, right this second, just by the fact that you worked so hard and got here yourselves," she told the Olympians.

She joked that she would be cheering for them in London, then at home when the White House made her leave in three days.

Let's Move! London Event

Later, Mrs. Obama hosted a Let's Move event for 1,000 military children, as well as American and British students. With her were famous Olympians and Paralympians David Beckham, Bart Conner, Nadia Comaneci, Teresa Edwards, Emily Hughes, Sarah Hughes, Shawn Johnson, Carl Lewis, Dikembe Mutombo, Dara Torres, and members of the 2012 US Track and Field Team.

She had more inspirational words for the kids, explaining that Olympians aren't born, they're made. "Many of them started out just like many of you -- just playing, playing on a team at school, or practicing at their local gym or rink or pool," she said. "But what they did do is they stuck with it. Right? Even when things got hard, they stuck with it. They spent hours every day, doing their drills, perfecting their skills, practicing their moves."

Mrs. Obama emphasized that the whole push of Let's Move! is "helping kids . . . live happier, healthier lives." She said, "You don't have to be an Olympian. You don't have to join a team. But there are so many ways that you can have fun and keep yourselves moving."

Mrs. Obama And The Queen

On the evening of July 27, Mrs. Obama attended a royal event at Buckingham Palace with, among others, Prince William and Kate Middleton, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Ambassador Susman, and International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge.

The Internet was awash with details of Mrs. Obama's wardrobe (crepe jacket, ivory silk satin chiffon pleated skirt, perter pointed toe pumps -- in case you were interested), but there was no gossip like the first time Mrs. Obama met the queen. While attended a G20 meeting with the president, Mrs. Obama gave the queen a brief hug, which is an official breach of protocol, but which the Elizabeth II didn't seemed to mind. The hug, it would seem, was another indication of the special relationship between the U.S. and Great Britain.