Princess Anne Gracefully Saves Near Protocol Mistake with Amir of Qatar at State Banquet

Princess Anne knew just what to do when she almost made a protocol mistake involving the Amir of Qatar at the Buckingham Palace state banquet.

On Dec. 3, the Princess Royal, 74, almost missed toasting His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during the diplomatic dinner that capped the first day of his two-day stay in the U.K. Princess Anne had a spot of honor at the state banquet with a seat next to the Amir, who was flanked on the other side by King Charles. 

As seen in video shared to X, credited to Sky News, Princess Anne looked out at the crowd when it was time for a toast, as the Amir and the King clinked their glasses together. The Princess Royal then went in to take a sip from her glass, before catching herself as she made eye contact with the Amir. The two shared a smile as they tapped their glasses, and he took a sip.

In a true princess move, Princess Anne double checked in the other direction — perhaps to ensure no one else was waiting! — and nodded her head, raised her glass and took a drink.

While the royal family’s website doesn’t specify any etiquette around state banquets, the glittering dinners are famously formal with extensive preparations, a white-tie dress code, tiara wear and speeches. Toasts around a table have long been interpreted as a gesture of goodwill, and Princess Anne made a graceful save with her fellow dinner guest.

King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the Amir of Qatar and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, for a state visit from Dec. 3 to Dec. 4, reuniting them with two royal guests from their May 2023 coronation day. Princess Anne’s careful catch at the state dinner called back to another protocol moment she recently shared with Queen Camilla, when the sister-in-laws shared a rare joint engagement at the University of London.

On Nov. 20, the Princess Royal had the honor of presenting the Queen, 77, with an honorary doctorate of literature from the college for her dedicated efforts to promote literacy and literature. Princess Anne is Chancellor of the University of London, and Queen Camilla reportedly invited her to walk into a room first. 

Sticking with tradition, Anne allegedly insisted that Camilla lead the way, honoring the order of precedence. The Daily Express said that Princess Anne “smiled and politely refused — allowing Camilla to enter first.”

Though Princess Anne was born royal as the daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Queen Camilla is technically ahead of her as King Charles’ wife and the Queen.

The Princess Royal is known for her tireless work ethic and has been named the royal family’s “hardest-working member” by count of official engagements recorded in The Court Circular for the last several years. 

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King Charles’ only sister continued the streak in 2024 with a whopping 217 engagements as of mid-November, SEO agency Reboot Online said then, despite suffering a concussion in June that forced her to cancel some royal plans amid a brief hospitalization and recovery.