Camera catches Princess Anne's near-faux pas during official event

Princess Anne has narrowly avoided a very public faux pas during this week's State Banquet.

The Princess Royal, 74, attended the event held in honour of the Emir of Qatar at Buckingham Palace on December 3.

King Charles delivered a heartfelt speech about the close ties between the UK and Qatar.

Following the speech, the guests reached for their champagne glasses to toast the bond.

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It was then Anne almost ran into trouble.

As Queen Camilla clinked glasses with the Emir's wife, King Charles touched his with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, leaving Princess Anne, who was seated on the right-hand side of the Emir of Qatar, hanging.

She lifted her glass briefly towards the group before facing forward and almost taking a sip when the Emir of Qatar turned to her.

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Anne quickly moved the glass away from her mouth and clinked glasses with him. They then both took a sip.

Watch the video above.

The etiquette surrounding toasts is clear, particularly at official events.

However, Princess Anne is a seasoned senior royal and it could be that seeing the Emir of Qatar was facing King Charles she decided to proceed with her drink instead of waiting for him, in case he didn't turn to her.

He eventually did and they completed the toast. Etiquette also states it is bad luck not to take a sip of your drink after completing a toast.

So, crisis averted.

While official videos shared by the royal family only show King Charles's speech and select footage of guests, Sky News shared wider footage of the moment on X.

Princess Anne was dressed for the event in a vintage cream gown with puffed sleeves and embroidery on the skirt.

Anne also wore a pearl and aquamarine necklace, diamond earrings and the Aquamarine Pineflower tiara, a wedding gift from her late grandmother.

Queen Camilla took the opportunity to wear one of the late Queen Elizabeth's favourite tiara, the Diamond Kokohnik Tiara.

The Princess Royal has long been one of the hardest working members of the British royal family.

Princess Anne has taken the crown as 2024's busiest royal as she stepped up to help his brother, making a total of 217 royal engagements.

The Princess Royal saw a 2.4 per cent increase in engagements, thanks to her involvement with over 300 charities.

She began public work at age 18 and continued to maintain one of the busiest working schedules of any member of the royal family.

This is despite taking time out earlier this year after suffering an injury during an encounter with a horse in July.

Buckingham Palace announced the news of the Princess's injuries on June 24, revealing she had sustained a concussion and minor head injuries at the Gatcombe Park estate.

Princess Anne was believed to be out walking by herself when the incident took place, but due to the concussion causing temporary memory loss, the exact events are unsure.

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