Princess Anne and the Princess of Wales were forced to deviate from royal protocol at the Commonwealth Day service yesterday due to a hilarious hat-related dilemma.
As members of the Firm gathered for the largest gathering of senior royals since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, all eyes were on the two royal women alongside the Prince of Wales, Queen Charles and Queen Camilla.
Yet while stylish, Anne and Kate’s respective choice of large hats for the occasion made a formal kiss greeting rather challenging.
Footage taken ahead of the service at London‘s Westminster Abbey showed how no-nonsense Anne, 75, was forced to blow Kate, 44, a kiss from afar in a desperate bid to avoid the pair from bumping hats.
As the royals arrived at the prestigious event, William, 43, was seen shaking hands and making light conversation with Anne’s husband, Sir Tim Lawerence before embracing his aunt, the Princess Royal, with a kiss on each cheek.
Dressed in an all-green ensemble, Anne spotted Kate making her way over to the group and instead blew her an affectionate kiss to avoid any chance of a hat collision.
The Princess of Wales, who greeted Sir Tim with a Kiss, proceeded to place a delicate hand on Anne’s arm before the pair erupted into laughter at their hilarious hat kiss dilemma.
Princess Anne and the Princess of Wales were forced to deviate from royal protocol at the Commonwealth Day Service yesterday due to a hilarious hat-related dilemma
Footage taken ahead of the service at London’s Westminster Abbey showed how a no-nonsense Anne, 75, was forced to blow Kate, 44, a kiss from afar in a desperate bid to avoid the pair from bumping hats
The rare heartwarming interaction delighted several royal fans, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the ‘lovely’ moment of ‘warmth and affection’ between the two princesses.
‘Such an excellent example for all of us about how family is supposed to work,’ noted one royal fan, while another remarked: ‘family is everything!’
‘Great to see their love for each other,’ added one avid commenter, while another praised the no-nonsense Princess Royal for the touching moment and said: ‘Princess Anne always looks like she would be a fun person’.
During the service, Kate dazzled in a cobalt Catherine Walker dress coat and five-strand pearl necklace that belonged to her husband’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The collared gown, which accentuated her silhouette and featured a pleated skirt, was teamed with a sophisticated felt Sean Barrett hat, worn by the future Queen for the 2023 event as well.
Anne, meanwhile, opted for a forest green pencil skirt and jacket which was pinned with a rose coloured diamond and gold floral brooch – believed to have been an 18th birthday gift from the late Queen and Prince Philip.
The iconic brooch was also worn by the Princess Royal during her 1973 engagement photos with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips.
While both Anne and Kate are scarcely seen undertaking royal engagements as a duo, the pair are understood to have shared a close bond since the Princess of Wales first joined the royal fold in 2011 and share a mutual love of sport.
The royal duo also share one of the same royal titles- The Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), which was given to them by the Queen to highlight their service to the Royal Family.
In 2022, the two princesses undertook their first ever joint engagement and visited the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), in London.
Yet this year’s annual Commonwealth Day service will no doubt have held particular poignance for the two royal women following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the momentous damage caused to the monarchy as a result.
During the service, Kate (pictured with William) dazzled in a cobalt Catherine Walker dress coat and five-strand pearl necklace that belonged to her husband’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II
As members of the Firm gathered for the largest gathering of senior royals since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, all eyes were on the two royal women alongside the Prince of Wales, Queen Charles and Queen Camilla
Also in attendance at the service were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and an array of celebrities, including Prince Albert of Monaco, Geri Horner and her husband Christian.
Charles’s annual address to the family of nations was included in a special booklet given to the congregation.
He said in his message: ‘Working together, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to stand as a force for good…’
The King praised the ‘precious’ Commonwealth, describing it as a forum for ‘honest discussion’ aimed at improving the lives of billions in an ‘increasingly fragmented’ world.
Charles has also used his Commonwealth Day message to highlight how the institution has ‘untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners’.
In his address, which was printed in the order of service, he said: ‘We join together on this Commonwealth Day at a time of great challenge and great possibility.
At the end of the service, the Royal Family undertook a line-up with some of the performers and those who gave readings including Geri Halliwell-Horner and Oti Mabuse.
Charles complimented the dancers, who performed barefoot on the abbey’s cold floor.
The Prince of Wales also asked them: ‘How was the dancing? I wondered what the marble was like with bare feet.’
His wife Catherine added: ‘To see this is such an amazing venue.’
Princess Anne also commented: ‘Interesting challenge. The surface!’
The Duke of Gloucester remarked: ‘You were being thrown about! Plenty of practice.’
His wife, the Duchess, added: ‘You are still in bare feet. It was absolutely wonderful.’
It came amid reports King Charles is ‘likely to discuss’ the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession during a meeting with Commonwealth leaders.
Charles attended the congregation of 1,800 people, made up of politicians and diplomats.
But in private, he is also likely to discuss removing Andrew, who denies any wrongdoing and remains under police investigation, from the line of succession.
The 66-year-old is currently eighth in line to the throne, with his removal requiring legislation in the UK and the approval of the 14 other Commonwealth realms where the King is head of state.
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney became the latest Commonwealth leader to call for Andrew’s removal after describing his actions as ‘deplorable’.
It followed interventions from the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, who previously said they would support the UK Government in any such plans.