The Countess of Wessex hosted a lunch at St James’s Palace on Monday afternoon for her patronage, England Hockey.
Her Royal Highness invited representatives from the world of hockey to the palace to celebrate the Women’s Hockey World Cup, which is currently taking place in London.
England is still in the competition, with the team taking on Korea on Tuesday in an effort to progress to the final eight.
England Hockey is the National Governing Body for the sport of Hockey. The body is responsible for the management and development of the sport from grassroots to elite activities.
They are also responsible for assessing and preparing the Great Britain hockey squads to qualify for and participate in the Olympics.
The Countess of Wessex became Royal Patron of England Hockey in 2006 and has made frequent visits to support and encourage the organisation in the years since.
Guests who attended the event at St James’s Palace on Monday afternoon included Dame Katherine Grainger and England Hockey’s chief executive, Sally Munday.
The women’s hockey team has had huge success in recent years. In 2015, the women’s team won gold at the Unibet EuroHockey Championship gold in London. This win was followed in 2016 by Olympic gold at the 2016 games in Rio in front of a worldwide audience of almost 10 million people.
The Countess of Wessex is patron of more than 70 charities and organisations altogether. These include The Girl Guides, The Central School of Ballet, The National Autistic Society and Wessex Youth Trust.
