Some guests reportedly tensed, fearing Thorpe might be referring to Andrew and inadvertently bringing up an awkward topic. But the veteran quickly clarified, saying, “Ah, that’s the main one, Ma’am,” referring to King Charles.

When a 10 News reporter later joked to Thorpe that Anne was “probably relieved it was the older brother,” he laughed nervously and replied, “I can’t say that, so…”

A Busy Schedule Ahead

Princess Anne, the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, has three brothers — King Charles, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

Following her engagements in Australia, the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, will travel to Singapore for a two-day visit marking 60 years of diplomatic ties between Singapore and the UK. The trip will include meetings with the country’s president and prime minister, as well as a visit to the Kranji War Memorial.

Prince William Also Dodges a Tricky Question

Interestingly, Anne isn’t the only royal to navigate a sensitive family topic recently. During his trip to Brazil last week, Prince William also managed to deflect a difficult question with grace.

While speaking with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, the journalist asked: “Given the fact there’s been a lot of change in your own family recently, you yourself have talked about this change. Just talk about that a little bit. Where do you see the change? What do you think needs to happen?”

William avoided delving into family matters and instead shifted the focus to his environmental initiative, replying: “I think the Earthshot Prize is a classic example of change. Rather than talk about it, we’re doing it. That’s where I want it to be. These people in here are the true action heroes of our time, and change will come by backing them, not by what I do.”