Princess Anne's hilarious response when Queen asked her to break royal protocol

Princess Anne had a hilarious response when Queen Camilla invited her to break royal protocol during their joint engagement on Wednesday.

Yesterday, November 20, the pair conducted a rare engagement at the University of London’s Foundation Day.

During the appearance, Anne – who is the Chancellor of the university – presented her sister-in-law with a honorary doctorate.

Camilla, 77, was one of five people conferred with the honour on the University of London’s Foundation Day.

Shortly after their arrival, the Queen invited her sister-in-law to enter the room before her – where they were set to meet fellow recipients of the honorary doctorate.

But Anne, who would have been well aware of royal precedence smiled and politely refused – allowing Camilla to enter first.

The pair then took one end of the small line-up before Camilla was invited to sit down and sign a visitor’s book.

An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance. This is typically applied to individuals, such as members of the Royal Family, for formal and state occasions.

Although, as the late Queen’s daughter, Anne was born into the Royal Family, Camilla ranks higher in the royal precedence due to her role as the Queen.

Showcasing their close bond, Anne previously publicly praised her sister-in-law during a BBC documentary which aired last year.

In the documentary titled ‘Charles III: The Coronation’, Anne said of Camilla: “I’ve known her a long time, off and on. Her understanding of her role and how much difference it makes to the King has been absolutely outstanding.”

Speaking of Camilla’s role as Queen: “This role is not something that she would have been a natural for, but she does it really well. And she provides that change of speed and tone.”