Duchess Kate meets the oldest Olympic torch bearer

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, chats with 100-year-old portrait sitter Diana Gould during her visit to the "Road to 2012: Aiming High" exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery on July 19, 2012, in London.

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(CBS News) Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, met the oldest Olympic torch bearer for the 2012 London Olympics at the opening of a new exhibition on Thursday.

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Diana Gould is 100 years old and is scheduled to carry the flame in London through the borough of Barnet as a part of the 70-day relay. Gould, who was born in 1912, runs exercise classes three times a week in the retirement home where she lives, according to the BBC.

Gould was chosen to sit for a portrait for the "Road to 2012" exhibition. The exhibition, on display at the National Portrait Gallery, features newly-commissioned photographic portraits of Olympic athletes.

Kate, who has a formal role with the Olympics as an ambassador for Great Britian's athletes, visited the exhibition on Thursday.

Her Portrait Gallery visit marks one of the many Olympic-related events she will take part in over the next several weeks.

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Olympic flame heads to London

[formerlyluvnut]

GAWD she (Kate) is just soooooo yummy! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[MagnaCartaUK]

Initially, I wasn't too keen on us hosting the Olympics - taking into account the cost versus austerity - but I've warmed to it. Apart from the sport, it's people like this lady and all the others chosen as torch runners. Men, women, young, old, very badly wounded veterans, members of the public from all sorts of backgrounds, unsung heroes from all over the land. Royalty, sports stars, people who've fought to overcome illness, and celebreties. So far along the route we've seen marraige proposals from those taking part, an impromptu dancing performance by a ON-duty Policeman, just about everything in fact. A few invited Americans have run legs of it too I think. It's how it should be - a cross-section of society with one purpose. We could do with a change after all the cuts and turmoil of recent years. It's time we enjoyed something for once and relaxed. Something to look forward to. We deserve it.