Royal Recalls Being Dismissed from Dinner by Queen Elizabeth for a Surprising Reason: ‘Just Go!’
Royal Recalls Being Dismissed from Dinner by Queen Elizabeth for a Surprising Reason: ‘Just Go!’
Meredith KileFri, September 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC
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Queen Elizaeth sips a cup of tea during a royal visit to Northern Ireland in 1977Credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty -
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, recently shared an anecdote about her mother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth
Prince Edward’s wife recalled that she was enthralled by the Great Britain women’s field hockey team’s gold-medal run at the 2016 Rio Olympics
Sophie recalled what happened when one high-stakes game took place during a royal family dinner at Balmoral
Family dinners are a little different when your mother-in-law is Queen Elizabeth.
During a recent interview on BBC Radio 5 with Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, the talk turned to the 10th anniversary of Great Britain’s women winning gold in field hockey at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sophie, 61, an avid sports fan who has been the patron of England Hockey since 2006, recalled that she followed along with every game of the Olympic tournament, despite the time difference.
She ran into some bad luck, however, when the championship match between Great Britain and the defending gold medal team from the Netherlands fell during a family dinner with the Queen at Balmoral, where the royals traditionally gather in the late summer. Sophie said she tried her best to stay on the score throughout the meal — to the eventual annoyance of the monarch.
“Actually, somebody who was helping at the table who’s an avid hockey fan kept on coming in and whispering the score to me,” Sophie shared. “I was twitching, and eventually, Her Majesty sat there and said, ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, just go!’ ”
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Queen Elizabeth attend a reception to celebrate the work of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust at Buckingham Palace on Oct. 29, 2019Credit: Kirsty O'Connor - WPA Pool/Getty
Sophie recalled that she then “ran through to the library” to watch the rest of the game. She was even joined by her father-in-law, Prince Philip, “who loved good sport” and was entertained by Sophie “leaping up and screaming” as she cheered on the Brits.
“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.
When the gold medal match was tied in the final moments, Sophie said she turned to find out the monarch had also made her way to the library and “was standing in the doorway watching.”
But the medal-deciding penalty shots were too much for Queen Elizabeth to take, according to her daughter-in-law.
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“She couldn’t cope with pressure,” Sophie said. “She had to take herself away again.”
Ultimately, England won the penalties and earned the women’s team their first-ever Olympic gold in field hockey. Sophie recalled that she was in a “flood of tears” while Prince Phillip remained thoroughly entertained by her enthusiasm.
She and the rest of the royals seemed to be tuning in from Balmoral Castle during the family’s annual getaway to the Scottish Highlands.
The property, which sits on the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, was especially beloved by the late Queen Elizabeth, who was known to leave for Scotland in late July and not return to London until October, with other members of the family joining her for periods of her stay.
Her granddaughter Princess Eugenie said of Balmoral in the 2016 documentary Our Queen at Ninety, “I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”
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Since her death at Balmoral in September 2022, the Scottish estate has remained a place of respite for the Queen’s descendants. King Charles, 77, has continued his mother’s tradition of spending some of the late summer at Balmoral since his accession. Prince William and Kate Middleton, both 44, usually visit with their three children — Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8 — as well as other royals.
“My family has deep connections there, and it was such a fun part of my childhood and upbringing,” Prince William told Country Lifein 2018.
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