Sophie Reveals the Hilarious Moment the Queen Sent Her Away From the Balmoral Dinner Table to Watch Team GB Make Olympic History

Queen Elizabeth II was known for remaining composed through demanding royal duties and major national events, but according to the Duchess of Edinburgh, even the late monarch found one nail-biting sporting moment almost too tense to watch.

Sophie has recalled a memorable evening at Balmoral during the 2016 Rio Olympics, when Team GB’s women’s hockey team was fighting for gold against the Netherlands.

The Duchess, a longtime supporter of the sport and patron of England Hockey, was desperate to follow the historic final. The only problem was that she was sitting at the dinner table with the Queen.

Ten years later, Sophie has revealed how her increasingly obvious nerves eventually prompted a wonderfully direct response from her mother-in-law.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake, just go!”

Speaking during a special BBC Radio 5 Live programme marking the tenth anniversary of Team GB’s victory, Sophie remembered becoming increasingly distracted as the match unfolded.

While dinner continued at Balmoral, a member of staff was quietly keeping her informed.

Sophie described herself as “twitching” at the table while the staff member repeatedly whispered updates about the score.

Eventually, Queen Elizabeth had seen enough.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake, just go,” the monarch told her.

That was all the permission Sophie needed. She immediately “ran through to the library” to watch the rest of the match.

What followed turned an already memorable Olympic final into an unforgettable royal family story.

Prince Philip joins Sophie for the dramatic finish

The match proved every bit as tense as Sophie had feared.

Great Britain and the Netherlands eventually reached a penalty shootout, with Team GB going on to win 2-0 on penalties and secure the country’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey.

As the drama intensified, Prince Philip joined Sophie to watch the closing stages.

The Duchess admitted she was hardly a restrained spectator.

“I was leaping up and screaming and everything,” she recalled.

With the drawing room next door, however, Sophie soon became aware that somebody else had appeared.

“I suddenly was sort of conscious of this presence, and Her Majesty had come through, and she was standing in the doorway watching,” Sophie said.

The Queen had apparently decided to see what all the excitement was about.

But as the penalties became increasingly tense, even she struggled with the pressure.

According to Sophie, the late monarch “couldn’t cope with it” and eventually “had to take herself away again”.

Prince Philip found Sophie’s reaction even more entertaining

While the Queen retreated from the tension, Prince Philip apparently found another source of entertainment: his daughter-in-law’s increasingly animated reactions.

“I think he was watching my reaction more than he was watching the television because I was literally living and breathing every moment,” Sophie said.

She remembered repeatedly jumping up and down as the decisive moments unfolded.

“My father-in-law was laughing at me,” she added.

The relaxed family scene offered an unusually intimate glimpse inside Balmoral, showing the royals experiencing the same nerves and excitement as millions of viewers watching across Britain.

Remembering Team GB’s historic Olympic triumph

Sophie shared the story as part of a BBC Radio 5 Live programme marking ten years since the memorable final.

She recorded the programme alongside presenter Eleanor Oldroyd and Olympic champions Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh, both members of the British squad that made history in Rio.

Great Britain’s victory over the Netherlands delivered Team GB its first women’s hockey Olympic gold medal, creating one of the most celebrated moments of the 2016 Games.

For Sophie, who serves as patron of England Hockey, the achievement clearly carried particular significance.

The full anniversary programme is scheduled to air on BBC Radio 5 Live at 9pm.

Sophie and Edward enjoy a family theatre outing

Sophie’s Olympic memories come shortly after she and Prince Edward enjoyed a family evening in London’s West End with their daughter, Lady Louise, and her boyfriend Felix da Silva-Clamp.

The group attended the Grammy-nominated production Inala at the House of Sisters Grimm Theatre.

Lady Louise, 22, wore a green and plaid skirt, while Felix, also 22, opted for a black suit. Sophie chose a cream shirt with a navy skirt and cream espadrilles, while Edward wore a light blue shirt and chinos.

The family later posed for photographs and met members of the production’s cast.

A representative for Sisters Grimm described the royal visit as “incredibly special”, noting the production’s previous connections with other members of the Royal Family.

A meaningful venue for Lady Louise and Felix

The theatre outing also carried a personal connection for Lady Louise and Felix.

The pair, who both studied at St Andrews, reportedly began their relationship after being cast together in a student play in 2024.

Photographs from a university drama society fundraiser later showed them together, and Felix remained by Lady Louise’s side throughout their latest theatre appearance.

The evening offered another relaxed family moment for the Edinburghs — but Sophie’s newly revealed Balmoral memory provides an even rarer glimpse behind palace doors.

At one of the late Queen’s most famous residences, protocol briefly gave way to Olympic fever, Prince Philip was laughing at his daughter-in-law’s celebrations, and Queen Elizabeth herself discovered that watching a penalty shootout could simply be too much to bear.