Princess Anne is hailed for her ‘humble’ reaction as she makes witty remark to fans who said they’d been waiting to see her 

Princess Anne has been praised for her ‘humble’ reaction towards two royal fans, as the ‘no nonsense’ royal issued a rather witty comment. 

The Princess Royal, now 75, had just finished a private engagement in North Yorkshire in May 2021 when eagle-eyed onlookers spotted the royal stepping out of a black SUV car at a local sports centre.

‘There she is!’ excitedly exclaimed royal fans Emma Dodsworth and Lisa Watkins, before they added: ‘This is so exciting!’

Dressed in brown trousers, navy jacket and scarf, Anne then quipped to the pair: ‘Are you coming to play?’. ‘Oh I’d love to come and play. Its such an honour to meet you,’ responded one of the keen royal fanatics.

When Anne then queried whether the duo were going to be ‘inside or outside’ of the sports centre, they clarified: ‘We’ve just come to wait for you Ma’am’.

However, the princess appeared somewhat unimpressed with their dedication, and instead jokingly responded: ‘Do get away’.

‘We have, we have!,’ the pair insisted, to which Anne chuckled and briefly glanced back at them with a mischievous smile as she walked away.

It comes after Anne last week was hailed as a ‘class act’ for her humble reaction to being cheered by rugby fans during Scotland’s Six Nations clash against Italy on February 7.

When Anne queried whether the royal fans were going to be ‘inside or outside’, they clarified: ‘We’ve just come to wait for you Ma’am’. However, the princess appeared somewhat unimpressed with their dedication, and instead jokingly responded: ‘Do get away’

After engaging with some lighthearted banter with the pair, Anne was then ushered across a football field and back to her helicopter

The down-to-earth Princess Royal was seen looking puzzled before smiling and muttering a few words to the person next to her once she realised the cheers were for her.

But royal fans similarly delighted in the moment Anne made a witty comment to fans back in 2015, showcasing her humility and incredible sense of humour. 

When a video of the hilarious moment was shared to X (formerly Twitter), royal fans were left delighted by ‘no nonsense’ Anne’s ‘wit and banter’ and praised the down-to-earth royal for her ‘wonderful humour’.

‘She’s an absolute legend!,’ gushed one user, while another added: ‘Don’t you just love this woman, hard working, says it like it is, and a great asset to the Royal Family’.

Others also noted that Anne’s quick wit had even captured the attention of her staff, prompting one royal fan to comment: ‘love the protection officer laughing at her reaction’. 

Shortly before they laid eyes on the witty royal, Emma and Lisa had finished work in Molton, North Yorkshire, when they noticed a helicopter coming to land.

While they initially thought it could be Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, who had been filming the new Mission Impossible film nearby, they soon spotted that the burgundy helicopter bore the Royal Family symbol.

As keen fans of the royals, the pair quickly raced to follow the helicopter to its landing place at a local sports centre. 

When a video of the hilarious moment was shared to X (formerly Twitter), royal fans were left delighted by ‘no nonsense’ Anne’s ‘wit and banter’ and praised the down-to-earth royal for her ‘wonderful humour’

Earlier that day, Anne, a former Olympic equestrian, paid a private visit to nearby Jack Berry House, a state-of-the-art £3.1million rehabilitation centre for injured jockeys, which she opened in June 2015 (pictured)

Recalling the unique moment, Lisa previously shared: ‘Emma and I, we adore the royal family so we couldn’t miss it.’

‘We pulled up and parked the car and ran to where the helicopter was landing but there was only the pilot. 

‘We then started to talk to some security guy and they wouldn’t tell us who it was but he eventually said someone would be arriving in 45 minutes. A 4×4 then pulled over with Princess Anne.’

Lisa revealed that she was captivated by Anne’s ‘cheeky grin’ and described the down-to-earth royal as ‘so lovely’. 

She added: ‘I have reputation to do banter so of course I would banter with Princess Anne.’

After engaging with some lighthearted banter with the pair, Anne was then ushered across a football field and back to her helicopter. 

Earlier that day, Anne, a former Olympic equestrian, paid a private visit to nearby Jack Berry House, a state-of-the-art £3.1million rehabilitation centre for injured jockeys, which she opened in June 2015.

The centre, which features an underwater treadmill, hydrotherapy pool, horserace stimulators and respite accommodation, provides treatment to those in Malton and Middleham.

Anne, who is also a dedicated patron of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), met with 30 jockeys who have received treatment from the centre and also joined them for an afternoon tea. 

Chief executive Lisa Hancock described at the time how Anne had been ‘very generous with her time and really interested to hear their stories’. 

When Anne was invited to mark the 35th anniversary of a London-based equine charity last February, the princess also issued a humorous instruction that left royal fans in stitches – cementing her role as the funniest royal

She added: ‘The princess is an experienced equestrian herself and she was comparing her old injuries from days gone by to some of the jockeys she met. 

‘She’s very aware of how medical and rehab practices have progressed enormously.’

Alongside showcasing Anne’s unwavering dedication to the sport, the hilarious interaction also highlighted Anne’s incredible sense of humour and quick wit, which has often delighted royal fans during her public engagements. 

Indeed, when Anne was invited to mark the 35th anniversary of a London-based equine charity last February, the princess issued a humorous instruction that left royal fans in stitches.

A clip from her appearance at Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre showed the Princess Royal addressing gathered reporters before the cake-cutting ceremony as Anne issued a humorous instruction.

‘I hope you all had a chance to see this cake because it really is stunning,’ she began. ‘The instructions are that you will eat it if I cut it. Otherwise, it’s just legalised vandalism. So, enjoy the cake!’

The crowd erupted with laughter that echoed on X/Twitter after the ‘hilarious’ clip was shared online.

‘I adore her,’ one person gushed, while another X user fondly described Anne as ‘a brilliant woman and so like her mother’.

‘She has a great sense of humour,’ added another keen fan. ‘Dry like her father, cheeky like her mother!’

Anne, who is Vice Patron of the British Horse Society (BHS), toured the charity site with BHS President and renowned actor Martin Clunes, famously known for portraying Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin, alongside BHS chief executive James Hick.

The former OIympian carried her own umbrella to stay dry as she toured the centre before meeting volunteers who helped provide riding and equine therapy for children with physical disabilities.

It reinforced Anne’s status as the hardest working royal with an unwavering commitment to her duty, alongside her role as the funniest member of the Firm.