GOSSIP & RUMORS: Princess Anne narrowly avoids protocol slip-up with Emir of Qatar

Princess Anne successfully managed to avoid breaking the royal protocol during the lavish state banquet thrown for the Emir of Qatar at Buckingham Palace this week.

The Princess Royal, 74, sat beside His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during the dinner after having to step into a more prominent role due to Queen Camilla being forced to cancel her appearance.

During Tuesday’s banquet, Anne nearly missed toasting the guest of honor at the dinner table — a mistake that would’ve broken the royal protocol.

In a video shared on X, credited to Sky News, King Charles’ sister was seen looking out at other attendees as the Emir clinked his glass with Charles.

As Anne brought her glass towards her, she soon realized that she forgot to toast the Emir of Qatar as she nearly took a sip.

The princess quickly rectified the would-be error and raised her glass while making eye contact with the guest of honor before taking a sip.

While other senior members of the royal family were in attendance, Princess Catherine and Queen Camilla skipped the dinner due to their respective health woes.

The Sheikh, 44, and his first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, 39, were greeted by the British royals in London for the couple’s two-day visit to England.

Earlier this week, the Prince and Princess of Wales joined the Qatar royals at the Horse Guards Parade, where Charles welcomed the royal couple.

Camilla, 77, was forced to miss the event since she’s recovering from a chest infection.

Meanwhile, Middleton, 42, attended Tuesday’s daytime festivities — which marked her first state visit since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

After the Horse Guards Parade, William and Middleton, along with Charles and the Qatar royals, went back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession.

Anne’s close call comes just weeks after politely blocked her sister-in-law, Queen Camilla, from breaking royal protocol during a recent royal engagement.

After the pair arrived together at the University of London for an event, they were escorted into the Senate House, where the ceremony took place.

But to show respect to Anne, Camilla invited her to enter the room first — breaking the first step of the royal protocol that has been in place since 1066.

Anne, who is all too familiar with the royal family’s order of precedence, “smiled and politely refused” — instead welcoming Camilla to enter the room first.

During public-facing duties, royals are expected to respect the “sequential hierarchy of nominal importance,” meaning that their majesties are to always enter the room first.

And while Anne, who is the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, was born into royalty, she still ranks below King Charles’ wife within the Firm.