Princess Anne, known for her stoic and unflappable demeanor, had a rare misstep while attending the state banquet for the Emir of Qatar at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
The 74-year-old princess was seated prominently next to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the top table.
After King Charles delivered his speech and raised a toast to the Emir and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher, Princess Anne nearly took a sip of her drink before realizing her mistake and quickly corrected herself, raising her glass to the Emir instead. Cameras captured the brief moment of confusion before she adjusted her gesture.
Anne looked elegant in a vintage cream gown with puffed sleeves and intricate embroidery on the skirt. She paired the dress with a pearl and aquamarine necklace, diamond earrings, and the Aquamarine Pineflower tiara, a wedding gift from her late grandmother, the Queen Mother.
For the first time, both Princess Anne and the Duchess of Edinburgh wore their Royal Family Orders from King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II. The miniature diamond-encased portraits of the monarchs were displayed on colored silk bows—pale blue for Charles and yellow for Elizabeth—worn on their left shoulders.
Queen Camilla also debuted the Diamond Kokoshnik Tiara, one of Queen Elizabeth II’s pieces, while Sophie wore her aquamarine and diamond tiara.
Earlier in the day, Princess Anne attended a lunch at Buckingham Palace for the Emir and his wife. She had missed the state banquet for the Emperor and Empress of Japan in June due to a horse-related accident on her Gatcombe Park estate.
Anne was hospitalized for five days with a mild concussion but returned to royal duties the following month, supporting Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Princess Royal is regularly listed among the hardest-working royals, carrying out hundreds of engagements both at home and abroad each year.
