Princess Anne’s daughter is a true pro at royal protocol.

King Charles speaks with Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall as they attend day one of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, England.Credit : Chris Jackson/Getty

Zara Tindall had the most royal hello for King Charles as Royal Ascot began.

Several members of the royal family came together to attend the first day of this year’s horse racing event at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, where cameras captured Zara’s respectful hello for her uncle in the Royal Enclosure.

As seen in a video shared by Hello! magazine, Princess Anne’s daughter, 45, had a triple greeting for her uncle. First, she gave a wave to the King before she dipped into a curtsy and finally gave him a kiss on the cheek, plus a loving touch to the arm.

The moment unfolded just after Zara tapped her husband, Mike Tindall — who was using his cell phone! — to catch his attention about heading in the King’s direction, and she also removed her sunglasses before saying hello.

King Charles speaks with Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall as they attend day one of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, England. Chris Jackson/Getty

Professional equestrian Zara then greeted Queen Camilla with a simultaneous curtsy and cheek kiss, while retired rugby pro Mike, 48, wrapped an arm around King Charles.

The pair shared a one-armed hug and chatted for a while, where Mike might have said something that made the King laugh, as the sovereign gave him a playful push on the arm.

While the royal family’s website says that there are no obligatory codes of behavior for meeting King Charles, Queen Camilla or other royals, the traditional forms of address are a small curtsy for women and a neck bow for men.

Mike’s lighthearted banter with the King wasn’t the only fun spotted in the Royal Enclosure either, as Zara also chatted with her new sister-in-law, Harriet Sperling, 45. The nurse married Zara’s older brother, Peter Phillips, on June 6, and made her married debut at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Zara Tindall and Harriet Sperling on day one of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, England.Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty

There, she sported a few special accessories — a name badge unveiling her new married name, Mrs. Peter Phillips, plus glittering earrings and bracelet by Pragnell, the British jeweler behind her engagement ring from Peter and the tiara she wore on her royal wedding day.

Tuesday’s Royal Ascot kickoff continues a busy string of events for the royal family, following Peter and Harriet’s royal wedding, Trooping the Colour on Saturday and Garter Day on Monday.

Princess Anne’s kids did not publicly attend Trooping or the Order of the Garter ceremonies. Peter and Zara are not working royals, and their mother opted not to give them royal titles at birth, which Zara previously said was a “very lucky” thing.

The siblings and their spouses, however, are frequent fixtures at royal family holidays and social events, with Mike describing riding in the Royal Procession at Royal Ascot as a cherished experience.

Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall attend day one of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, England.Chris Jackson/Getty

The former England rugby union star said on The Luxury Dispatch with Tom Chamberlin in May that the Royal Procession passes “a load of schools” and “they always let the children out and wave their British flags” as the cavalcade of horse-drawn carriages goes by.

“You turn on to the track down the middle of the course, and the anthem starts — it’s quite special,” he said of the unique feeling.

SOURCE: https://people.com/zara-tindall-triple-greeting-king-charles-royal-ascot-curtsy-11999240