Princess Anne has been lauded for her poise and adeptness during a somewhat uncomfortable interaction with Scotland’s rugby captain.

As the patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, the Princess Royal was given the honor of presenting Sione Tuipulotu with the Calcutta Cup after Scotland’s 31-20 triumph over England on February 14.

When Anne, at 75, was about to hand over the trophy to Tuipulotu, he appeared to move in for an embrace. However, the princess gracefully sidestepped the hug, opting instead to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder while sharing a lighthearted exchange.

The moment, which appeared a bit awkward at first, quickly became a talking point among royal enthusiasts, who admired Anne’s seamless handling of the situation.

On Facebook, one observer remarked, “Princess Anne was just as thrilled as he was! She managed that flawlessly.”

Another fan humorously pointed out, “She nearly got hugged! That’s a rare sight. He attempted a hug, but she skillfully turned it into a shoulder pat. Brilliant.”

One user praised Anne for her ‘dignified and beautiful’ behaviour, while another added: ‘The Princess Royal is absolutely phenomenal. She is a fantastic example of duty coming first. The most hard-working royal.’

It was also noted that while Anne may have been inclined to give Mr Tuipulotu a hug, she was abiding by royal protocol, which traditionally advises that members of the Firm do not hug members of the public during public engagements.

As Anne, 75, prepared to present the trophy to the sportsman, he appeared to try and embrace her. However, the princess stepped back and instead placed her hand on his shoulder before engaging in lighthearted conversation with the rugby player

The Princess Royal, who is patron of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), was tasked with presenting Sione Tuipulotu with the Calcutta Cup following the nation’s 31-20 victory against England on February 14

‘She probably wanted to hug him but protocol kicked in,’ added a fan, while another remarked: ‘She doesn’t need to hug, her loyalty is enough.’

Having served as patron of the SRU for almost three decades, Anne is a firm fan of the sport and was seated at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield to show her support for the team and wish the players luck ahead of the game.

While the princess may have felt sympathy for the English team’s loss, she no doubt celebrated in Scotland’s Six Nations victory, which saw England’s 12-match win come to an end. 

Dressed in the stands, Anne wore her trusty Team GB sunglasses to shade her eyes, alongside the team’s fleece and a trusty tartan scarf – a clear show of her unwavering Scottish support. 

Previously described by the SRU as a ‘long-standing and committed supporter of Scottish rugby’, Anne has often travelled abroad to support the Scottish national team during the Six Nations tournament and rarely misses a match.

Behind the scenes, Anne has also routinely backed grassroots development and last year became patron of the Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation (MIPDF), which seeks to provide support to injured players across the Scottish game.

Announcing the Princess Royal’s involvement, Ian Rankin, MIPF chair, described Anne as a ‘dedicated supporter of the Scotland rugby team’.

He added: ‘Her passion for sport, her commitment to the game at all levels, is well documented and we are honoured to have her join us as our Patron.’

The seemingly awkward moment between the pair quickly caught the attention of eagle-eyed royal fans, who noted Anne’s impeccable professionalism as she deflected the hug

One user praised Anne for her ‘dignified and beautiful’ behaviour, while another added: ‘The Princess Royal is absolutely phenomenal. She is a fantastic example of duty coming first. The most hard-working royal’

Having served as patron of the SRU for almost three decades, Anne is a firm fan of the sport and was seated at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield to show her support for the team and wish the players luck ahead of the game

Anne’s viral Six Nations encounter also comes not long after the Princess Royal delighted sporting fans for her humble reaction to receiving an unexpected ovation during Scotland’s clash against Italy on February 7.

Seemingly unprepared for the onlookers in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, Anne was seen looking perplexed as legions of sporting fans cheered in her support.

She then smiled and muttered a few words to the person sat next to her, which lipreader Jacqui Press told The Daily Mail said showed her endearing humility.

Anne, whose eyes darted around the stadium before she turned to the person sat next to her right, said: ‘Oooh, wonderful to watch,’ Ms Press revealed.

Showcasing her down-to-earth nature, Anne then added: ‘They were watching someone else .. they should follow her.’

While it remains unclear who Anne was referring to here, it suggests that the Princess Royal did not believe that the ample degree of attention should be placed on her, despite her royal position.

Given that her cameo occurred just moments after a rugby player had become injured on the pitch, it may also have been that the empathetic royal wanted the crowd’s focus to be on the wellbeing of the players, rather than on her.

It also appears that Anne did not even realise the cheers were for her until her seatmate alerted her – a further indication that she was not expecting the public outcry of support.

Pictured: Anne meets the Scotland team ahead of their clash against England on February 14. Anne no doubt celebrated in Scotland’s Six Nations victory, which saw England’s 12-match win come to an end

The down-to-earth royal was left stunned when an entire stadium of of rugby fans erupted into cheers for the Princess Royal during Scotland’s clash against Italy on February 7

Taking to Instagram to share their thoughts on the viral video, royal fans delighted in Anne’s ‘dignity and grace’, with one adding: ‘She didn’t realise the cheers were for her till someone told her. Love that smile.’

‘She looks so much like the Queen at times,’ added one onlooker. ‘Hardest working Royal.’

Meanwhile, other social media users praised Anne for being a ‘no frills princess’ who ‘just gets on with serving and representing’ the Royal Family.

In 2023, during an appearance on her son-in-law Mike Tindall’s podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, Anne revealed how she first became patron of the SRU by ‘accident’.

She added: ‘They asked me to go and open the East Stand [at Murrayfield Stadium] when it was built.

‘I had about two weeks’ notice because they had been let down, I can’t remember who by, and as it happened, the horse was lame and I wasn’t competing at the weekend, so I went.

‘About a month later, they asked me if I wanted to become patron.’

Referencing her inherent passion for the sport, the princess added: ‘Everything that rugby gives, I’m talking about exercise and team sports in general, but I do think rugby offers a variety of talents in one team. 

‘And you have to look out for each other and that’s a different sort of responsibility within a team structure. They’re not all the same, you can have different skills.’