While Sophie, Countess of Wessex has not traveled to Rio to watch the Olympics like some other royals, she is keeping up with how Team GB’s women’s hockey team is doing. Team GB made it into the finals, and Sophie, as Patron of England Hockey, released a video message to wish them luck.
The video was posted on England Hockey’s YouTube channel and appears to have been filmed by Sophie on her phone while at Balmoral – you can see part of Balmoral Castle in the background.
In the video Sophie says:
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“Hi girls, well done. Congratulations, you’re in the finals. This is everything that you’ve worked for. It’s fantastic and I’m so proud of you. I’ll be watching tomorrow night. I’m just so sad I can’t be with you, but I’m there in spirit. Good luck, take care. I hope everybody’s okay from last night, and bring it home. Well done.”
Great Britain plays the Netherlands in the Women’s Final today, August 19, at 4PM Eastern US time and 9PM UK time.
The GB women’s team beat Spain 3-1 in the quarterfinals and New Zealand 3-0 in the semifinals to play Netherlands in the finals. The men’s GB hockey team didn’t even make it out of the preliminaries.
I really like that Sophie has been paying attention to Team GB’s Olympic showing and that she cared enough to make this video to congratulate them even though she’s on vacation. I also really like that this video is something she just filmed herself and doesn’t seem scripted.
Sophie previously visited England Hockey at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre back on April 28 of this year, attended the Eurohockey Championship Finals on August 30, 2015 with Lady Louise, and showed off her own hockey skills at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre on March 11, 2014. Hopefully Sophie will make some time to visit the Team GB women’s hockey team later this year to congratulate them on their Olympic success.
I like her so much. She just has so much positive energy and seems genuinely invested in the causes of which she is a patron. I know we all say this but I think it would be such a loss to charity work in Britain if she were to be trimmed from public life.
#bringonthegreat
The semi was quite a battle, the Black Sticks were much higher up the rankings. It was pretty brutal too as hockey can be. Blood on the Astro . I’m just disappointed Sophie isn’t going.
As to will she continue in her role. I bet Charles is jealous of her popularity. I’ve seen a few video clips of Edward recently and he seems much more like Anne, more normal than Charles and Andrew. Maybe that comes from being further from the throne? ( I stress the more – don’t think he’s actually normal given his lifestyle, just a bit less up himself.)
I think Edward looks like a man who is in peace with himself and the world. He and Sophie no doubt have a happy marriage and make a good team, and thanks to the hardships he has faced – e.g. how to find his own path in life, the loss of their unborn baby and Louise’s difficult birth – he knows not to take things for granted in spite of his privileged position. I really like this couple!
Maybe it has to do with lack of coddling? Edward is supposedly no one’s favorite child, so maybe his lack of favorite child-ness helped him not become stuck up his own butt?
A Friend of the family’s daughter used to work at BP. When Edward came into the room he said good morning to everyone by name.
That’s lovely.
Edward is said to be Philip’s favorite child, Andrew HM’s favorite. Anne gets special place as the only daughter, but Edward is said to be Philip’s favorite. The baby, the one he felt he could spend the most time with. That’s why Edward is set to get the Duke of Edinburgh title.
I have never heard that. I’ve only ever heard that Anne is Philip’s favorite child.
Anne is the only daughter and the child most like Philip. He’d like and love that about her, and he probably admires her brusk and businesslike ways. But Edward is the son he didn’t have to worry about raising to be heir, and not the one his wife had already chosen as her favorite.
Andrew was a long-tried-for child and HM dotes on him still. Edward is the baby, the one he could be his most goofy self with once he’d already settled into his consort role. The baby of the family group, just like he was the baby in his.
The Edinburgh title isn’t hereditary, but it will be given to Edward once both HM and PP pass. If Charles sticks with his parents wishes.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/23/18/f9/2318f9618145f26fe9766a8d011b3d60.jpg
Thank you for posting the picture of Philip and Edward–gave me a look at a side of Philip I haven’t seen.
I hope Charles has the sense to keep Sophie on, she’s such an asset.
I wish Sophie was going to be there today, for the selfish reason that I want to see her Wild Cheering against Maxima Wild Cheering.
Oh my gosh! How awesome would it be to have two of our favourite ladies cheering madly for their teams?! I’m imagining it in my head, and its perfection.
I just love how natural Sophie is! This video seems to be really spontaneous and I enjoyed the stunning Scottish landscape as well, well done Sophie!
The view is wonderful.
View may be wonderful but it’s August, the midges will be worse than Zika virus mossies!! Believe me there is nothing quite like the Scottish midge.
Yes I know, have been there! Not a fan of midges, mosquitoes or any of their kind, and I’m rather allergic to insect bites, so I often look like I had a chicken pox once they’ve treated themselves to me…
What an inspiring message Sophie recorded to the Women’s hockey team and on her holiday too. I like hearing Sophie speak. Sophie and Edward make a good team. Balmoral looks spectacular. #Bringonthegreat.
How lovely of Sophie to take a few moments out of her hike (I’m assuming since she’s uphill from the house) to tape a little video on her phone wishing the women’s team well. Just another reminder of how down-to-earth she seems to be. As Patron of England Hockey, I’m sure she’ll make the time to meet up with the team and congratulate them in person.
Okay, I just have to say that I want to be a member of the BRF for no other reason than to have access to that beautiful land. Just imagine all those rolling acres, forests and streams, just waiting to be walked through!!! I love to take long walks and Balmoral looks like such a lovely place to get lost in.
I’d ride a horse through it because I hate hiking, but other than that I totally agree with you about the land.
I’m sure when Rhiannon marries Harry, she’ll invite us all for a long weekend at Balmoral. KMR, you could have your pick of the stable. 🙂
Who actually is invited to Balmoral? Is it immediate family and families or can anyone in the family go KMR? Sandringham must be invite only. I think I prefer Balmoral. So much to explore.
Balmoral is open to the public. You can rent cottages and walk through those hills!!!
http://www.balmoralcastle.com/availability.htm
Oh, that would be lovely! Maybe a KMR weekend?? Actually, I’d rather stay in the “big house” with Rhiannon and Harry 🙂
Please, give them their privacy! Just kidding, I am sure they would welcome you with open arms.
They also invite other royals. Beatrix and Margrethe have been known to spend time there, in addition to staying at BP when visiting London.
a KMR weekend sounds like so much fun! I’m in!
It’s so sweet of Sophie to make a quick “good luck” video to GB’s women’s hockey team with her own phone–nothing produced or edited by people in the biz! And that backdrop is beautiful!! Scotland has always been on my ever-growing bucket list!
Love Sophie. She could have done the Kate Keen thing and had some note posted. A note written by a staffer. Instead, she does a personalized video. She is wonderful!
Also, I enjoyed the insight above concerning HM’s favorite and The Duke’s, too. I don’t want to sound like a Saintly Mom, but as the mother of two, I have no favorites. Each of my girls is so different and I appreciate so many things about each that I can truly say one does not touch my maternal being more than the other. Now, when they are adults, let’s see how it goes!
I loved how Prince Edward always gave friendly hellos to staff. I love how he and his wife care for others.
Scotland it beautiful. I spent two vacations there in the past and would love to go again in the near future. The land is lovely, the people, too.
The more I see of Sophie the more I like her. She does a wonderful job, always caring and engaged while being rather down to earth. Also her family is wonderful… she seems really happy deep down inside like she found her place and role in life.
One gets bit envious, also because the the landscape in the background!
#bringonthegreat
We won GOOOOOOOOLD
Amazing, against form , no one would have bet on us. Hope Sophie was watching. Queen Max was there with the family.
That penalty system is amazing to watch. Football ( soccer) should watch and learn.
Sophie could’ve visited the Rio Olympics briefly to give her message to the hockey team in person.
We won!!! Well done Team GB. Commiserations to the Dutch. I expect the Dutch Royal family were and are so proud of their team too.
I too loved that Sophie too the time to congratulate the team and filmed it herself. She just gets it and obviously keeps up with what her patronages are doing.
And the backdrop of Balmoral is just breathtaking. I’d love to spend some time there. Think I’m putting the renting of a cottage there on my bucket list. A KMR weekend there would be legendary…lol
How lovely of Sophie to do a video for Team GB (BTW Congratulations to our British contingent here – Team GB was wonderful in Rio!) Obviously unscripted with no PA or hairdresser lurking in the background to make sure she was perfectly turned out. I will admit I didn’t think Edward would amount to much based on his earlier bloopers, but he and Sophie have really stepped up to the plate and become such a treasure for the BRF. Bravo, Sophie!
I have to say that this video is no different than WK and Harry recording a video message and sending it to the Olympics team. What’s to stop them from actually visiting in person? Oh yes, WK are vacationing in France, Sophie is vacationing at Balmoral, Scotland and Harry is on his vacation-tour in Africa.
Great message from Sophie to let the team know she was with them in spirit. Such a personal, openhearted message is exactly why Sophie is popular with people who get to know her. I like the impromptu nature of her message too. She probably heard about their victory while walking around the grounds, and pulled out her phone and recorded a short message to send.
I really like the background of the video.Given the topic of the video,its appropriate,natural and not stuffy.She and Harry are the BRF’s greatest assets IMO.