A SINGLE BOUQUET — AND PRINCESS ANNE STOLE THE MOMENT AT SANDRINGHAM. It lasted only seconds, but royal fans can’t stop talking about it. As Princess Anne stepped forward to accept a bouquet on Christmas Day, her dry wit and unexpected response revealed more than any grand gesture ever could. No rehearsed smiles. No royal airs. Just a quietly telling exchange that’s now gone viral — and has many asking if this is why she’s still the most respected royal of them all.
Princess Anne is being showered with compliments for her ‘humble’ reaction to a fan giving her a bouquet during the royal walkabout at Sandringham on Christmas Day.
There were several standout moments from this year’s gathering at King Charles‘s Norfolk estate – from Prince Louis‘s delight at being presented with a giant box of Lindt chocolates to his older sister Princess Charlotte taking selfies with royal fans.
But one Royal Family member flew under the radar – until a video of Princess Anne greeting a well-wisher outside St Mary Magdalene Church was shared on X.
The Princess Royal, 75, who recycled a festive red coat for the occasion, was walking alongside her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, when a member of the public tried to get her attention.
The clip, which was first posted to the King’s Guards and Horse UK’s YouTube channel, captured the unsuspecting royal turning around in surprise after she heard the woman call her name.
‘Are you sure? I’m probably the last person standing,’ Princess 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, Queen Elizabeth II, 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!’
Princess Anne is being showered with compliments for her ‘humble’ reaction to a fan giving her a bouquet during the royal walkabout at Sandringham on Christmas Day
The clip, which was first posted to the King’s Guards and Horse UK’s YouTube channel, captured the unsuspecting royal turning around in surprise after she heard the woman call her name
As the fan began fumbling over her words, Anne put her at ease by laughing off her own joke and thanking her again.
The clip, which had over 1.5 million views on X at the time of writing, delighted royal fans, who praised Anne for her down-to-earth attitude.
‘Princess Anne is humble and lovely,’ one person wrote.
Another added: ‘She’ll always be first in my book too, wonderful down-to-earth, hard-working lady.’
A third said: ‘She deserves absolutely lots of bunches – she works super hard without seeking popularity.’
One fan noted: ‘I think she’s marvellous and doesn’t get enough credit for all she does.’
A similar comment read: ‘More flowers for Princess Anne. She’s fabulous and needs more acknowledgement. I believe it is *her* who is the one holding the royal family together.’
Yet another described Anne as a ‘class act’ as they wrote: ‘She reminds me so much of her Dad. Both legends. Never stops travelling and working.’
The clip, which had over 1.5 million views on X at the time of writing, delighted royal fans, who praised Anne for her down-to-earth attitude
One fan said: ‘In my opinion, Princess Anne is so humble and low-key that she doesn’t really want the attention. I think she believes it’s her duty to be there and doesn’t necessarily need or want all the accolades.’
The sentimental gift for Anne was a touching gesture – even if the late Queen’s favourite flower was believed to be Lily of the Valley.
However, Elizabeth was frequently seen wearing the colour yellow at high-profile royal engagements – including when she attended Prince William and Catherine’s wedding in 2011 and her Diamond Jubilee Trooping the Colour the following year.
Last week, King Charles, 77, led the royals as they arrived for Christmas church service – with hundreds of adoring fans gathered outside St Mary Magdalene on December 25.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by their three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
Catherine, 43, dazzled in an autumnal brown tweed jacket complemented by a silk scarf and designer hat.
Like Anne, Queen Camilla also wore a bright red coat that she paired with a stylish hat as she walked alongside a smiling King Charles.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson were absent from the festivities – though Princess Beatrice and her sister Eugenie made a surprise appearance.
The King’s younger brother and former spouse are off the guest list after becoming mired in scandal following revelations about their involvement with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The royals attended an hour-long service at the church before gathering together to attend a lunch hosted by the monarch.
