Princess Anne celebrated King’s official birthday in Thailand on Thursday.
His tribute was accompanied by a thoughtful personal gesture. For the reception celebration, she carried a traditional Thai Yan Lipao handbag woven with ligodio and palm leaves.
The handmade bag, a gift from the Thailand Institute of Sustainable Arts and Crafts.
The Princess Royal attended a reception hosted by the British Embassy and was joined by Sir Tim Laurence for the event at the Four Seasons Hotel.
During the reception, Anne gave a speech reflecting on the close relationship between the UK and Thailand, while also providing laughter with reference to England’s defeat to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final the previous night.
Looking out at the audience, the princess joked: “I’m not sure who stayed up late to watch the football game last night.”
Then he added with a smile: “Sometimes international relations require a long-term perspective and I think our hopes in football also require that same vision.”
Anne went on to say that while the outcome of a football match is only a brief moment, sport itself has a much bigger role to play in bringing people together and fostering understanding between different countries.
He also used his speech to offer his condolences to the Royal Family of Thailand following two recent losses.
Addressing guests, the princess expressed her “deepest condolences” to King Vajiralongkorn on the death of his mother, Queen Sirikit, and his eldest daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha.
“I fear that in times of loss we are reminded of the importance of relationships and the values we all share,” Anne said.
