A reporter has revealed what really happened between the Queen and Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace last night – after a video emerged today left royal watchers guessing.
The Queen, 93, was filmed gesturing to her daughter, 69, as she welcomed Donald and Melania Trump to the NATO reception – prompting the Princess Royal to shrug in response.
The moment sparked a flurry of commentary on social media as fans and royal experts alike offered up theories on what might have been said between the women.
But now a reporter present at the event has revealed Princess Anne was simply saying to her mother ‘it’s only me’ after the Queen turned to check which leader was next in line for the royal welcome.
The Queen, 93, was filmed seemingly directing Princess Anne, 69, while welcoming President and Mrs Trump alongside Prince Charles, 70, and the Duchess of Cornwall, pictured
The details come from Laura Elston of the Press Association, via a Twitter thread by The Times journalist Valentine Low.
Mr Low explained: ‘OK, here goes… Princess Anne: the truth. No, she didn’t snub the Trumps. And she wasn’t told off by the Queen.
‘Instead the Queen, after greeting the Donald (and the Melania), turned to Anne to see who was next. But there wasn’t anyone waiting: Trump was the last leader to be received by the Queen.
‘Anne raised her hands in the air, laughed and said: “It’s just me,” adding a moment later “and this lot” as she pointed to the members of the household behind her.
‘This excellent bit of sleuthing comes from the very wonderful Laura Elston of the Press Association, who is as impartial a witness as you could hope for.’
The video in question shows Princess Anne standing back as the Queen, Prince Charles, 70, and the Duchess of Cornwall, 71, formally welcomed President and Mrs Trump to the palace.
The Queen was joined by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in welcoming President and Mrs Trump to Buckingham Palace for the NATO summit reception last night
The well-rehearsed greeting saw the Trumps greet the Queen before moving down the line to Prince Charles and his wife, while Princess Anne stood in the doorway waiting to come in
Body language expert Judi James noted that the Queen appeared to ‘wave’ to her daughter, as if signalling she should come over and join the conversation, or continue the procession. In response, Princess Anne simply shrugged towards her mother, as captured above
President and Mrs Trump poke to the Queen, Charles and Camilla before making their way inside. Princess Anne waited her turn and remained in the doorway, as seen above
Speaking to FEMAIL earlier today before Ms Elston’s comments were made public, body language expert Judi James suggested Princess Anne might have been waiting for her turn to enter the room.
The Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall represented the royal family as they welcomed NATO leaders and their partners in an official receiving line.
Princess Anne and the Duchess of Cambridge, whose husband Prince William is abroad on a royal tour, did not take part.
The Queen is pictured alongside First Lady Melania Trump at Buckingham Palace for the 70th anniversary of NATO last night
Wrap up like Melania in a cape from Valentino
As the NATO summit takes place in London, we can count on a certain amount of glamour that comes with the political gathering of heads of state with members of the royal family.
Ahead of the dazzling reception at Buckingham Palace this evening, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall welcomed President Trump and First Lady Melania to Clarence House for tea.
Never one to miss a sartorial beat, Melania and her stylist Herve Pierre went for retro-glamour in this yellow Valentino cape that was expertly contrasted with the purple knit dress and pumps.
Snag the cape over at MatchesFashion, but beware…it will come with a Trump-sized price tag of a whopping $7700! You can always get the look for a lot less with one of our picks in the edit below!
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Her Majesty was seen surrounded by world leaders and their partners at her reception for NATO at Buckingham Palace last night
Kate Middleton (above) looked stunning this evening as she wore a green dress and wore her hair in loose waves at the reception
The Princess Royal talked to guests during a reception this evening and laughed during the talks as the party carried on around her
The First Lady was wearing a yellow £4,700 Valentino coat to keep the British cold at bay teamed with fuchsia heels, while the president opted for a dark blue suit, white shirt and blue tie.
Camilla cut an elegant figure in a red dress and black blazer with Prince Charles wearing a navy pin stripe suit.
Other world leaders at Buckingham Palace at the reception included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also in attendance and was pictured wearing a pair of navy socks with reindeer on them and brown shoes.
