Phillip Schofield has revealed all on the Queen's unexpected appearance during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebration at Windsor Castle on Sunday evening (May 15). He was presenting the coverage on ITV alongside Julie Etchingham.
Queen Elizabeth II arrived to a standing ovation from the 4,000 strong crowd for the star-studded equestrian extravaganza featuring some of the world’s leading performers in what was the first major event marking the her 70-year reign.
The 96-year-old monarch's appearance at A Gallop Through History, which chronicled the events of the first Elizabethan age, from the attempted invasion of the Spanish Armada to leading figures of the day like William Shakespeare, wasn't announced in advance.
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The event was staged by the Royal Windsor Horse Show which has been welcoming spectators for the past three days including the Queen who spent part of her Friday touring the show grounds after earlier missing the State Opening of Parliament.
And she clearly enjoyed the show, where she was seen sitting in the royal box with a blanket over her knees and a shawl around her shoulders, and at its finale, when her own horses and ponies were led around the open-air arena, appeared enthralled, beaming as the animals passed the royal box.
Speaking about the event at the start of This Morning, Phillip, 60, said: "I felt so happy in how happy the Queen looked," as Holly replied: "Without a doubt. Her face... from the moment she stepped out that car and she had that grey shawl with the diamantes on it which was stunning and she just looked incredible."
"You just wanted to... I don't know. She's just like everyone's favourite grandma isn't she? You just want to go and sit next to her," she added. A clip of the Queen smiling as she chatted to the person in the royal box next to her, Phillip said: "Look at that smile. You just wanted her to have a good time and she had a ball."
Later, during the This Morning's View segment, Phillip and Holly chatted more about the Queen's celebration with guests Gyles Brandreth and Sonia Sodha. "Well I'll let you into a secret," Phillip said as Gyles spoke about enjoying seeing the Queen's reaction to what she was seeing.
"There was a discussion because obviously the Queen has her mobility issues but is still obviously bright as a pin which must be very annoying and frustrating... it was a long show and there was a discussion that maybe the Queen wouldn't stay for the whole thing.
"Julie and I were watching the monitors and watcher her reactions and we said to each other, 'There's no way she is leaving this'. Bearing in mind the King's Troop was right at the very end, her father's troop, so that was a big personal note for her and the carriages and Lady Louise."
They then showed a clip of the young royal riding Prince Phillip's carriage who has taken on his hobby since his death last year. Gyles also revealed that there was another nod to the Duke of Edinburgh in the Queen's appearance. "Bearing in mind the stick the Queen is now walking with is Prince Phillip's shooting stick."
"Aww, I didn't know that," Holly said as Gyles added: "She's holding onto that all the time," to which Holly then replied back: "He's still supporting her."
