Did Princess Anne really shrug off Donald Trump? 5 times Queen Elizabeth’s daughter has shocked the world

Dec 11 , 2019

Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth’s daughter, has always been a controversial British royal. Photo: Instagram

Footage of Princess Anne shrugging her shoulders – shot at a Buckingham Palace reception for Nato leaders – went viral recently, with some viewers interpreting the gesture as a snub to US president Donald Trump and the first lady; however, this turned out not to be the case

It was a royal shrug that sent waves around the globe a few days ago. Great Britain’s Princess Anne went viral again, this time with a simple gesture. The world is once again reminded of her warmth, authenticity … and chutzpah.

It happened in a receiving line, normally the most uneventful of places. Queen Elizabeth was hosting US President Donald Trump for a Nato leaders’ summit. The queen, her elder son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, greeted Trump and his wife, Melania, when the exchange between mother, 93, and daughter Anne, 69, was caught on camera. It looked as if the queen had asked Anne to get over and do her duty when Anne responded with a shrug.

Although it later seemed clear Anne’s gesture was merely meant to communicate to the queen that there were no other dignitaries waiting to meet her, that wasn’t how British tabloids (and many others) saw it at first:

Daily Mirror headline: “Princess Anne’s incredible reaction after ‘scolding’ from Queen for not greeting Trump”.

The Sun: “HEIR-RAISING: Princess Anne shrugs as The Queen ‘scolds her during Trump greeting’”.

Daily Express speculated that the two were “having a silent argument”.

Daily Mail: “Queen ‘directs’ Anne while welcoming Trump to Buckingham Palace”.

Regardless of what really happened, the princess is not new to controversy. Here are five moments when Anne, considered the most down-to-earth and hardest working British royal, caused a flurry in the news.