Even "Old School" Princess Anne Is Joining Royals in "Breaking Down" Queen Elizabeth's "Stuffy" Traditions

Prince William and Princess Kate have been on a selfie spree lately, snapping pictures with fans and giving out hugs as they show the more relatable side of the monarchy. Even King Charles has gotten in on the hugging action lately, and while Princess Anne recently dodged a hug from Scottish rugby player Sione Tuipulotu, she finally went in for a cuddle after the team’s March 14 match against Ireland. Now, a body language expert says that Anne is helping to eliminate “some of those old, stuffy royal traditions” once held by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

In a video shared by Scottish Rugby on Instagram, the Princess Royal is seen swerving Tuipulotu’s hug on Valentine’s Day in favor of a pat on the arm. The two then shared a jokey moment on March 7 as Anne, who serves as patron of Scottish Rugby, held her arms up in a mock hug and laughed when she congratulated Sione on his win.

But the player finally got his wish after Scotland lost to Ireland on Saturday, March 14. Wearing her hair in her signature updo and dressed in a blue wool coat, Princess Royal leaned in for a warm hug with Sione after walking into the team’s locker room. “Thank you so much for the hug,” Tuipulotu said in the clip, adding, “away from the crowd!”

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton said it was “amazing to see” Princess Anne finally accept Sione’s hug.

“Even the older members of the family are breaking down some of those old stuffy royal traditions,” he said. Referring to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, he added, “You would never have seen Anne’s mother and father doing anything of the sort.”

While Stanton admitted that the Princess Royal “is normally very old school and, in many ways, quite similar to her parents,” he said that her less tactile nature makes their hug “all the more significant.”

As their royal patron, Princess Anne has built a warm relationship with Scotland’s national team, and Stanton noted that she’s “clearly built a genuine rapport” with Sione.

“Him finally getting a hug in the changing room really speaks to the rapport they’d built,” the body language expert continued. “He is clearly a very tactile person, as these meetings have shown, and she fully reciprocated in that hug. She was matching his energy completely.”

Saturday's match wasn't the first time Anne has shared a cozy moment in the past week. While attending the Cheltenham Festival with Queen Camilla on March 11, Princess Kate's mom, Carole Middleton, wrapped her arms around the Princess Royal as they cheered for the horses.

Will Anne's hugging streak continue? Watch this space.