The Princess of Wales has forged close relationships with the royal family since her wedding to Prince William back in 2011. But she was once ‘snubbed’ by her husband’s aunt, Princess Anne – and it was all caught on camera.
Catherine is known to have a warm, respectful relationship with Anne. Both are dedicated to public service and are key pillars of the British monarchy, with the future queen said to greatly admire Anne’s tireless work ethic.
They are often seen greeting each other warmly at major events and national celebrations.
But on one occasion, things went a little awry.
What happened between Catherine and Anne?
Anne, 76, and Catherine, 44, were both in attendance at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London in March this year.
Prince William and his wife were seen exchanging warm greetings to other members of the royal family – but Anne decided against kissing Catherine on the cheek.
Moments earlier, her nephew William had greeted Anne with two kisses, but as his wife approached to do the same, a problem quickly became apparent – Catherine’s large hat.
Photo: © Getty Images
Rather than attempt to greet the Princess in the usual way, Anne instead joked about the moment, prompting laughter from Catherine.
The moment was shared on Instagram by the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English who explained: “There was no way Princess Anne was going to attempt a kiss under a hat like the Princess of Wales.”
Catherine was able to expertly navigate her headpiece while giving kisses to other members of the royal family. And for both King Charles and Queen Camilla, she accompanied her warm greeting with a curtsy.
Princess Anne’s viral hug moment with rugby star
Princess Anne has been known for sticking to more formal greetings. When Scotland rugby team’s captain Sione Tuipulotu went in for a hug with the royal after Scotland’s win over England in March, she laughed as she opted for a handshake instead.
Photo: © Getty Images
The pair embraced their viral moment, with Sione jokingly pretending to lean in for another hug while celebrating Scotland’s victory against France, as the royal laughed and playfully held her hands up, opting once again for a handshake.
Sione did eventually get his hug; Scottish Rugby shared a video showing the rugby star thanking the Princess after a warm embrace in the changing room of the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. “Away from the crowd!” he joked, patting Anne’s shoulder.
Anne’s reaction after being hugged by staff member
That being said, the Princess Royal reportedly expressed her preference for more formal greetings following the death of her mother in 2022.
Royal biographer Robert Hardman wrote in his book,The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, that a senior staff member offered Anne a hug shortly after the monarch died, but she had an unexpected reaction to the gesture.
“There then followed a wry smile. ‘That is the last time that’s going to happen,’ the Princess said firmly,” Hardman wrote.
