Queen leads Royal Family in congratulating the ‘inspirational’ Lionesses after their Euro 2022 win

The Queen led the Royal Family in sending her congratulations to the England Lionesses following their Euro 2022 victory. 

The Queen, 96, praised the team as an ‘inspiration for girls and women’ in a message shared within minutes of last night’s dramatic extra-time win against Germany.

She added: ‘It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today.’

Princess Eugenie, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also shared their heartfelt well-wishes to the team. 

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The Queen’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie shared a message celebrating the Lionesses and thanked them for ‘inspiring’ the nation 

The Lionesses celebrate following their dramatic 2-1 win over Germany on Sunday night. The Royal Family were quick to share messages of support after the historic victory

Prince William, President of the Football Association, cheered on the Lionesses in their dramatic 2-1 win at Wembley. 

The beaming prince put on an affectionate display as he congratulated the team in the trophy presentation line, stopping to hug several of the England stars. 

But the first words of praise came from the Queen, who said in a statement: ‘My warmest congratulations, and those of my family, go to you all on winning the European Women’s Football Championships.

‘It is a significant achievement for the entire team, including your support staff.

‘The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise’, she said in the statement, which was signed off ‘Elizabeth R.’

She added: ‘However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned.

‘You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations.

‘It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today.’

The Queen led the Royal Family in sending her congratulations to the England Lionesses following their Euro 2022 victory

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall (top) and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (bottom) also posted congratulatory messages

Princess Eugenie added: ‘Wow, wow, wow. You have done us all so proud. Thank you for inspiring us. Huge congratulations to the Lionesses!’ 

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall shared a slideshow of celebratory images to Instagram with the caption: ‘Congratulations to the victorious @Lionesses! 

‘Your teamwork, determination and sportsmanship will inspire a generation. You have made us all proud.’

And Prince William posted after the match: ‘Sensational. An incredible win @lionesses and the whole nation couldn’t be prouder of you all. Wonderful to see history in the making tonight at Wembley, congratulations!’

Prince William, 40, gave England captain Leah Williamson a heartfelt hug after the Lionesses’ victory against Germany

The Duke of Cambridge has spent time with a number of England players over the years in his role as President of the FA. His friendly relationship with Leah Williamson (left last night and right together in June ahead of the tournament) was clear

The Duke of Cambridge appeared particularly friendly with veteran player Jill Scott, who has been part of the England team for 16 years

The 87,192-strong attendance in the stadium smashed the record for either a men’s or women’s Euros final and saw the team end more than 50 years of hurt by delivering the nation’s first major football trophy since 1966.

In extra time super substitute Chloe Kelly fired them into the history books after beating Germany in a tight final that captivated 15million at home and tens of thousands watching in pubs and fan parks across the country.

The team were also enjoying themselves, singing Sweet Caroline with the crowd before enjoying a few beers and some dancing in the changing room at Wembley. There were also joyous scenes on the team bus and at the hotel in west London – as well as tears of joy when the players were reunited with their families and partners.

Experts have said the women’s game will now ‘explode’ but there is growing criticism that just 66 per cent of primary schools and 44 per cent of secondary schools offer girls the same access to football as boys in PE lessons. 

The Duke of Cambridge posted a video to his official Twitter account this morning in which he and Charlotte shared their support for the Lionesses

Ian Wright has suggested that England’s policy makers will throw away the legacy of the win if girls don’t get the same chances as boys, warning that MPs and businesses will be ‘jumping on’ the Euro 2022 victory and must be forced to invest in the game.

Today thousands of fans will be able to celebrate England’s Euros win with the players in London later. Up to 7,000 supporters will have the opportunity to join the team for a daytime event hosted by veteran Lioness Alex Scott in Trafalgar Square, where fans were dancing in the fountains last night.

Supporters will be able to gain free entry on a first-come first-served basis from 11am on Monday, and can enjoy live music from DJ Monki while tournament highlights are shown on screens.

The players and their manager, Sarina Wiegman, will take part in a Q&A session before lifting the trophy.

The event has been organised by the Greater London Authority, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Westminster Council, and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 12.40pm.It is expected to end at 2pm.

Alex Scott said today that the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory would be a game changer in terms of raising the profile of women’s football.

She told BBC Breakfast: ‘These Lionesses have raised the bar. They have changed the way women’s football is viewed in this country. The train has left the station and it is gathering pace. It will be tragic to take any steps back after what we have witnessed yesterday and through the whole tournament. There must be an opportunity for every single girl to play football if they want to.’