The Duchess of Edinburgh has revealed the late Queen Elizabeth II's surprised reaction during a nerve-racking penalty shootout when Team GB's women's hockey squad won gold 10 years ago at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Sophie appeared in a special BBC Radio 5 Live programme celebrating a decade since the triumph, sharing her memories of when Elizabeth II and Prince Philip tuned in at Balmoral to watch the dramatic final.
Queen Could Not Cope With Pressure
Prince Edward's wife described how the Queen had to leave the room because of the tension. She said: "She couldn't cope with pressure. She had to take herself away again."
Sophie's father-in-law, the late Duke of Edinburgh, sat down to watch the match and laughed as the duchess leapt up and down screaming during the nail-biting game.
The royal revealed: "I think he was watching my reaction more than he was watching the television because I was literally living and breathing every moment."
Queen's Command to Return to the Match
She added: "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 Her Majesty had come through, and she was standing in the doorway watching, and it was getting so pressured.
"She was watching the penalties. She couldn't cope with pressure. She had to take herself away again. Couldn't cope with it. And I was standing there, leaping up and down, or sitting, leaping up and down. My father-in-law was laughing at me."
The duchess described how she had initially watched only the start of the match at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire because she had to join the Royal Family for dinner, with a member of staff, who was also a hockey fan, whispering the score to her throughout.
But the Queen noticed her anticipation at the end of the meal and instructed her to return to watching it on TV. Sophie said: "We were sitting at the end of dinner, and I was twitching, and eventually Her Majesty sat there and said 'Oh, for goodness' sake, just go'. So I ran through to the library."
Legacy of the Historic Win
The duchess, who is the patron of England and GB Hockey, was recorded speaking with presenter Eleanor Oldroyd and Olympic gold medallists Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh, both of whom were part of the winning squad. The programme also examines the legacy of the historic win and the importance of supporting grassroots sport.
The defeat of defending champions the Netherlands was Team GB's first-ever women's Olympic hockey gold. The full programme will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live tonight, Wednesday, at 9pm. A podcast version of Team GB Women's Hockey: 10 Years On will also be available on BBC Sounds.
