The Princess Royal dodged a hug from Scottish Rugby player Sione Tuipulotu in February
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- Princess Anne poked fun at her previous awkward encounter with Scottish Rugby player Sione Tuipulotu after the team’s recent win
- Sione Tuipulotu had attempted to hug the Princess Royal in February, but she offered him a handshake instead
- Tuipulotu jokingly pretended to lean in for another hug over the weekend
Princess Anne showed her sense of humor when she joked with Scottish rugby player Sione Tuipulotu about an awkward moment the two previously shared.
Following Scotland’s win against England last month, an excited Tuipulotu went to hug the Princess Royal, 75, when she congratulated him — a gesture Princess Anne politely rejected, opting to shake Tuipulotu’s hand instead.
On Saturday, March 7, while celebrating Scotland’s victory against France in the Six Nations Championship, Tuipulotu jokingly pretended to lean in for another hug as the royal laughed and playfully held her hands up. However, they once again skipped the hug in favor of a handshake.
Guinness Men’s Six Nations shared a clip on Instagram comparing the two moments, writing in the caption that it was a "brilliant moment."
“This close to a hug,” Scottish Rugby captioned a video of the moment on X, getting in on the fun surrounding the royal who has been the patron of the Scottish Rugby Union since 1986.
While members of the British royal family can be greeted with a curtsy or bow, less formal gestures, such as handshakes, are also acceptable. However, initiating physical contact is generally discouraged.
Lucy Hume, an associate director at coaching company Debrett's, a respected authority on modern British etiquette, previously told The Mirror, "Best not to initiate personal physical contact with a member of the royal family. Again, it may be that they offered to give you a hug or to put their arm around you, but usually wait and see what's expected or what's appropriate for the event."
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Television personality Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a former co-host of The View, recently recalled a similarly awkward encounter when she tried to hug the late Queen Elizabeth.
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