Princess Anne’s sweet nod to absent Prince William and Kate Middleton as she hosts major royal event

Princess Anne’s sweet nod to her absent nephew Prince William and Kate Middleton was a heartfelt moment as she hosted a major royal event.  

• The Princess Royal hosted one of the Queen’s annual garden parties at Buckingham Palace as Patron of the Not Forgotten Association. 
• For this significant event Princess Anne opted to recycle a favorite spring-time look that paid tribute to her nephew and niece-in-law.  
• This royal news comes as Prince Charles' 'sausage fingers' sparked concern from royal fans as internet searches for his swollen hands soared.  

As a senior member of the extended Royal Family, the Princess Royal has been taking even more of a prominent role as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022 weekend draws nearer. Already one of the hardest working royals, Princess Anne has showcased her devotion to her duties once again as hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace on May 12th. Traditionally held every summer in London and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland, the Queen canceled her garden parties for the last two years due to the pandemic.

Now they’re back in full swing and whilst the Queen sadly hasn’t made an appearance, the Queen’s children have stepped up. Prince Charles hosted on her behalf for the first garden party with Princess Anne joining him. 

A day later, the Princess Royal attended another and made a special nod to Prince William and Duchess Kate with her spring-like outfit.

As Royal Patron of The Not Forgotten Association, Princess Anne hosted the event which was attended by over 3,000 guests from military organizations, charities and care homes. The Queen was absent, though according to The Independent she gave her permission for it to be held in the Buckingham Palace grounds and to be hosted by her daughter. 

Founded back in 1920, the Not Forgotten Association provides wounded, injured or sick service and ex-service people leisure and recreation. Princess Anne is the latest Princess Royal to be Patron, with Princess Mary, then Princess Royal, being made the charity’s first Patron. 

For this hugely meaningful occasion, Princess Anne opted for a purple and green flower-patterned coat with bold lilac cuffs adding an extra touch of detail to the sleeves. 

Going all out with the floral theme’s shades, she matched the look with an elaborate lilac hat and what appeared to be a purple dress. And eagle-eyed royal fans might well recognize this particular outfit from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. Princess Anne wore this floral coat and skirt to watch the now-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge say, “I do” back in 2011. 

Although that time she wore a different hat in another complementary shade of purple, the overall outfit was the same. 

With her nephew and niece-in-law also absent from the Garden Party and away attending engagements in Scotland, Princess Anne’s sweet nod to their big day is very special.

This comes just weeks after Kate Middleton and Princess Anne’s first joint engagement. And if fan reaction is anything to go by, there’ll be many hoping to see these two royals team up plenty more times in the future…