In a delightful moment that has captured the hearts of royal enthusiasts, Princess Anne’s sharp wit took center stage during a recent public appearance. At 75, Anne attended the 35th anniversary celebration of a London-based equine charity back in February, where she was tasked with cutting a commemorative cake. A video clip from the event at Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre resurfaced online, showing the Princess Royal addressing reporters with her trademark humor. “I hope you all had a chance to see this cake because it really is stunning,” she quipped before adding, “The instructions are that you will eat it if I cut it. Otherwise, it’s just legalised vandalism. So, enjoy the cake!”

The crowd’s laughter resonated online when the ‘hilarious’ clip made its rounds on X, formerly known as Twitter. Admirers were quick to express their affection, with one stating, “I adore her,” while another praised Anne as “a brilliant woman and so like her mother.” Another fan remarked on her humor, saying, “Dry like her father, cheeky like her mother!” During the event, Anne, who serves as Vice Patron of the British Horse Society (BHS), toured the charity alongside BHS President and actor Martin Clunes, famed for his role as Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin, and BHS chief executive James Hick.

Despite the rainy weather, the former Olympian carried her own umbrella while visiting the center. She met with volunteers who dedicate their efforts to providing riding and equine therapy for children with physical disabilities. The visit held a somber note, occurring just three days after Anne’s brother, King Charles, 77, revealed his cancer diagnosis. Displaying her characteristic resilience, the princess smiled as Sister Mary Joy Langdon, founder and CEO of the Pony Centre, expressed well wishes to Anne and her family. This visit further cemented Anne’s reputation as the royal family’s most dedicated member, always committed to her duties.

The clip also cemented her standing as the funniest royal – especially after a video from this year’s Sandringham festivities left fans in stitches. Footage showed Anne, walking beside her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, after attending Christmas church service at St Mary Magdalene on the King’s Norfolk estate. When a member of the public called out to Anne to give her a bouquet, she looked back in surprise as fans noted her ‘down-to-earth’ attitude. Princess Anne could be heard asking the onlooker: ‘Are you sure? I’m probably the last person standing.’ After Anne accepted the bouquet of yellow roses, the woman replied: ‘You’re the first to me every year.’

She also explained she had ‘picked’ the flowers because Anne’s mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was fond of them. Anne then promptly responded by saying: ‘You didn’t pick these yourself, did you? I was going to say, your garden is doing better than mine!’ In many ways, Anne’s humorous nature is strongly reminiscent of the late Queen’s wit, who made her own cake-cutting joke in 2021. When Her Majesty attended an evening reception for G7 leaders on June 11, 2021, the then 95-year-old monarch was tasked with cutting a large cake to mark the occasion. She humorously insisted on borrowing a ceremonial sword from Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho, the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, to do the task, which prompted laughter from both Kate Middleton and Camilla.

When an aide helpfully suggested she could use a standard knife to slice the cake, the Queen joked: ‘I know there is. This is more unusual.’ The Queen was on good form when she was invited to cut a cake during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations the following June – just three months before her tragic passing. As she plunged the blade in, Her Majesty made guests laugh when she joked: ‘I think I might just put the knife in it… someone else can do the rest.’ Throughout her 70-year reign, the Queen became well-known for her amusing one-liners which appear to have rubbed off on her only daughter.

Anne and the Queen were also said to have shared an incredibly close bond, with the Princess Royal later sharing how she felt ‘fortunate’ to have shared the last 24 hours of her ‘dearest Mother’s life’ prior to her death on September 8, 2022, at Balmoral. According to Anne’s husband Sir Timothy, the Princess Royal has always shared her beloved mother’s quick wit and heartwarming ability to make royal engagements more entertaining. Speaking in 2020 on ITV documentary Anne: The Princess Royal at 70, Sir Tim said: The similarities with her (Princess Anne’s) father are much talked about, but what is less spoken about is the similarities with her mother, the Queen.’ ‘The common theme is humour and fun,’ he added.