The Princess Royal had a surprise guest when she hosted  a reception at St James’s Palace – her older brother, King Charles! 

The King joined his younger sister at St James’s Palace for the 40th Annual Butler Trust Awards. And the unbreakable bond between the siblings was clear to see as Charles III supported Princess Anne at this important event.

Princess Anne has been patron of the awards since its founding in 1985 and hosts the ceremony every year. The organisation was created to  “promote excellence in UK prisons, probation, and youth justice by recognising and celebrating outstanding practice, and supporting the development of good practice through awards, training, and resources”. 

In addition to giving out ten awards, Her Royal Highness also awarded twenty commendations. 

One of the awards that she presented was the Princess Royal’s Prize for Outstanding Achievement that she gave to Jonathan Firth who is an officer at HMP Swaleside in Kent and was recognised for his exceptional work in difficult circumstances over more than 30 years. 

The King spent time speaking with several recipients and learning more about the work that they do. 

The Princess Royal also wore a sentimental piece of jewellery for the reception. She wore her gold ribbon brooch, a piece that she first debuted in 1969. The yellow-gold brooch has several diamonds set in the loosely-tied ribbon design.