The Royals follow a number of festive traditions each year, including the quirky exchange of gag gifts on Christmas Eve, a nod to their German heritage. Rather than splurging on luxury items, they embrace light-hearted and unconventional presents.

One year, Princess Anne certainly showed off her wit and caustic tongue by giving her brother a hilarious gift for the occasion. The Princess Royal is famous for her no-nonsense approach and dry sense of humor, and she really showcased her wit by gifting her brother, King Charles, a rather peculiar present.

According to royal expert KT Nitel, “If you can achieve something that is tongue-in-cheek and will have the Queen laughing, then you’ve really done well that Christmas. The more kitsch, the better. Nothing ostentatious or terribly expensive or lavish—that doesn’t really go down well with the Queen.”

When asked about the unusual gift during an Australian radio interview in 2018, the then Prince of Wales delivered a cheeky response, brushing off the claim with a laugh: “My own? Oh, don’t believe all that nonsense.”

It was reported that Princess Anne had decided to give the King a white leather toilet seat for Christmas, as a joke about his one day becoming King. Dicky Arbiter, a former royal press secretary, explained the thinking behind the cheeky gift. He said, “What is it we used to call it? We call it the throne. You go and sit on the throne, so buying a leather-bound L seat was really Princess Anne’s way of saying, ‘Here you are, you’ve got your own personal throne.'”

Just days after stepping out for a church service at St. Mary Magdalene, dressed to impress in an olive green coat, charcoal gray trousers, and brown suede loafers, His Majesty was in high spirits as he greeted well-wishers who eagerly lined up for a glimpse of the monarch. He was joined by his sister, Princess Anne, who has been a familiar face at recent royal events, including her husband Sir Timothy Lawrence, rounding out the royal contingent for the occasion.

As the British royal family walked to church on Christmas Day 2023, numerous wearers could be spotted wearing matching scarves. The scarves were all the Highgrove Heritage Scarf, a collaboration between King Charles’s Highgrove House and the King’s Foundation. At the time, it was reported that the King gifted the scarf to his family members, and this week, Princess Anne wore the scarf once again. As many royals were first spotted wearing the scarf on December 25, it’s very likely the King gifted it to them the night before.

Luckily, royal fans can also get their hands on this stunning scarf, which is currently being sold on the Highgrove Garden website for a jaw-dropping £150.

During the family’s walkabout, William seemed visibly grateful to the public as he witnessed his children receiving kind gifts from well-wishers on the Sandringham grounds. There are several royal protocols governing whether members of the royal family are allowed to accept gifts, but thankfully, the children were able to keep all of the chocolates and plush toys they were handed. Among the gifts that royals are allowed to accept from members of the public are foodstuffs and other consumable items, alongside items of small monetary value—something that doesn’t exceed £150.

Though King Charles and Princess Anne share an incredibly close relationship, it’s not often we see them attending engagements together. Their demanding schedules, packed with royal duties, often keep them apart. In fact, the sibling duo is consistently hailed as two of the hardest-working royals in the family. In 2023, the King clocked in an impressive 483 engagements, while Princess Anne wasn’t far behind with 459.

Reflecting on the close connection between them, royal correspondent Daniel Stacy notes that, while the Princess Royal has always been one of the most dedicated and hardworking members of the royal family, their sibling bond seems to have grown even stronger in recent years. Therefore, Princess Anne’s cheeky gesture and King Charles’s good-natured response served as a reminder that laughter often takes center stage—even in the most regal of celebrations.