Princess Anne’s ‘humble’ response to being cheered on the rugby: Lip reader reveals what ‘class act’ royal stated when she realised followers had been shouting for her 

A lip reader has revealed the humble comments Princess Anne made during her  terrific ovation at a Six Nations fixture last week.

The Princess Royal, 75, was left stunned while sat in the stands during Scotland’s clash against Italy as an entire stadium of fans erupted into joyous cheers for the beloved royal.

Anne, who has served as patron of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) since 1988,  arrived at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on February 7 to show her support for the nation during their first game of the annual tournament. 

But as legions of sporting fans publicly declared their support for the royal, Anne looked rather perplexed as she initially struggled to understand why the crowd had broken out into noise.

When the princess eventually realised that the cheers were for her, she made a warming smile before muttering a few words to the person sat next to her.

According to lip reader Jacqui Press, Anne’s comments in that moment were a true sign of her endearing humility.

Anne, whose eyes darted around the stadium before she turned to the person sat next to her right, said: ‘Oooh, wonderful to watch,’ Ms Press revealed.

Showcasing her down-to-earth nature, Anne then added: ‘They were watching someone else .. they should follow her.’

While it remains unclear who Anne was referring to here, it suggests that the Princess Royal did not believe that the ample degree of attention should be placed on her, despite her royal position.

Given that her cameo occurred just moments after a rugby player had become injured on the pitch, it may also have been that the empathetic royal wanted the crowd’s focus to be on the wellbeing of the players, rather than on her. 

It also appears that Anne did not even realise the cheers were for her until her seatmate alerted her – a further indication that she was not expecting the public outcry of support. 

The positive attention of onlookers not only took the Princess Royal by surprise, but also delighted royal fans online, who quickly took to Instagram to praise the royal for being a ‘class act’. 

Taking to Instagram to share their thoughts on the viral clip, many royal fans spoke highly of Anne’s ‘dignity and grace’ in that moment, noting that the princess ‘didn’t realise the cheers were for her till someone told her’.

Others praised Anne for being the ‘hardest working Royal’ and a ‘class act’ who resembles many of the characteristics of her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Certainly, according to Anne’s husband Sir Timothy, the Princess Royal has always shared her beloved mother’s quick wit and heartwarming ability to make royal engagements more entertaining.

Speaking in 2020 on ITV documentary Anne: The Princess Royal at 70, Sir Timothy said: ‘The similarities with her [Princess Anne’s] father are much talked about, but what is less spoken about is the similarities with her mother, the Queen.’

‘The common theme is humour and fun,’ he added. 

Meanwhile, another royal onlooker commented on Anne’s Six Nations cameo: ‘I don’t think Princess Anne realises how much love there is for her.

‘She’s the link to the past with her mother/father and deeply respected for her tireless work and service.’

Taking strong note of Anne’s firm association with the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), another fan said that the princess was a ‘Bonnie Lass who for Scotland is legendary’.

Previously described by the SRU as a ‘long-standing and committed supporter of Scottish rugby’, Anne has often travelled abroad to support the Scottish national team during the Six Nations tournament and rarely misses a match.

But beyond the stands, Anne has also routinely backed grassroots development and last year became patron of the Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation (MIPF), which seeks to provide support to injured players across the Scottish game.

Announcing the Princess Royal’s involvement, Ian Rankin, MIPF chair, described Anne as a ‘dedicated supporter of the Scotland rugby team’.

He added: ‘Her passion for sport, her commitment to the game at all levels, is well documented and we are honoured to have her join us as our Patron.’

Meanwhile, this is also not the first time that the Princess Royal has showcased her true humility when fans have shown their adoration for her.

In December, during the Royal Family’s annual Sandringham walkabout, Anne expressed her sheer surprise when a well-wisher gifted her a bouquet of flowers following the church service.

In a clip that later amassed more than 1.5 million views, the unsuspecting Princess Royal was seen turning around with an expression of bewilderment after a woman called her name.

‘Are you sure? I’m probably the last person standing,’ Anne replied, before walking up to accept the bouquet of yellow roses.

The fan responded by saying ‘you’re the first to me every year’ before explaining she had ‘picked’ the flowers because Anne’s mother, the late Queen, was fond of them.

Anne, who is known for her quick wit and wicked sense of humour, promptly responded by saying: ‘You didn’t pick these yourself, did you? I was going to say, your garden is doing better than mine!’

As the fan began fumbling over her words, Anne put her at ease by laughing off her own joke and thanking her again.

For many royal fans, the clip perfectly illustrated the princess’s humble nature and quick wit, with one delighted onlooker adding: ‘She’ll always be first in my book too, wonderful down-to-earth, hard-working lady.’

Another also added: ‘I think she’s marvellous and doesn’t get enough credit for all she does.’ 

‘In my opinion, Princess Anne is so humble and low-key that she doesn’t really want the attention,’ noted one fond onlooker.

‘I think she believes it’s her duty to be there and doesn’t necessarily need or want all the accolades.’