The Hilarious Time Queen Elizabeth Told Duchess Sophie to ‘Just Go’ Mid-Dinner for an Olympic Final
Duchess Sophie recalls how her frantic, tear-filled Olympic celebrations left Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip amused!
Duchess Sophie has long been known for her warm and caring persona, which has helped her build some of the closest bonds within the royal family—most notably her exceptionally close relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II. During her latest BBC Radio 5 appearance, the Duchess took a stroll down memory lane to share a fond and unexpected memory with the late Queen from 2016: the night Team GB won gold in women's hockey at the Rio Olympics. She remembered watching the match at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, and her expression while talking about it showcased just how close it was to her heart.
With the games happening in Brazil, they were caught in a different time zone. Sophie found herself right in the middle of the match when it was time to break away for dinner with her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth. But sitting at the table, her mind was entirely on the ongoing game. She remembered, "I was sitting at dinner thinking, 'I really want... what's going on? What's going on?'" Luckily, someone at the table who was "an avid hockey fan" kept coming over to whisper the score to her. By the time dinner was winding down, she described how she was sitting there "twitching" with anticipation—which is exactly when Queen Elizabeth noticed her restless state.
Recalling the moment with a laugh, Sophie exclaimed, “Well, eventually Her Majesty sat there and said, ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, just go!’ So, I ran through the library, and I was watching it, and my father-in-law, the late Duke of Edinburgh, came through. He loved good sport, and he sat down, and he was watching it with me. In fact, actually he was watching my reaction more than watching the television because I was literally living and breathing every moment.”
But that’s not all; she further added how she suddenly realized that the match was getting to the point when there is just so much on the line. Sophie explained, “I was leaping up and screaming and everything. And the drawing room is right next door. And I suddenly was sort of conscious of this presence, and she was standing in the doorway, watching. She was watching the penalties.”
Sophie described how the Queen herself couldn't cope with the mounting pressure and kept having to walk away, while Sophie remained completely glued to the television. The Duchess laughed, "And I'm sitting there, leaping up and down. My father-in-law was laughing at me!" Finally, she recalled the thrilling climax when Hollie Pearne-Webb scored the winning goal, jumping up in the air as the magnitude of the moment swept through the entire room. Sophie remembered being in a "flood of tears" as she bounced around "screeching." It is clear that she still wishes she could experience that incredible victory all over again, a memory that definitely lives in her mind rent-free!
