King Charles Lets One Royal Family Member Hug Him In Public (& It's Not William Or Camilla)

According to scientists, hugs are incredibly good for us. Feeling stressed? A hug can fix that. Did that one tardy co-worker make your blood pressure skyrocket again? A hug will bring it right down. Feeling under the weather? Hugging more people can actually strengthen your immune system over time, per Healthline. Given that the royal family endures plenty of stressful, high blood pressure-inducing moments (just look at the tabloid headlines!), alongside their fair share of health scares, you might think they'd be less averse to public hugs. Alas, King Charles III has rarely been seen hugging anyone (not even his wife, Queen Camilla, or his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry) in public. 

But there is one family member who seems exempt to this rule, and it's none other than Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall. While attending the Royal Ascot in June 2026, Zara surprised royal pundits when she greeted the king. Video footage shared on Instagram by Hello! magazine showed her following protocol by giving His Majesty a wave from afar and curtsying when she reached him. But then, in a breach of protocol, Zara planted an affectionate kiss on the king's cheek before placing her hand on his arm. This wasn't the first time Zara showed unabashed affection towards Charles either. 

Chris Jackson/Getty

In 2024, the Olympian made waves when she pulled him into a heartfelt embrace at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which, notably, he wholeheartedly returned. As royal author Robert Jobson surmised to Hello!, "Zara is probably the only person who could go up to the king at Royal Ascot and put her arms around him from behind." He added that Charles can rely on Zara, despite her not being a working royal.

While Zara Tindall's whimsical Royal Ascot 2026 look had royalists talking, she's a valuable asset to The Firm for more than just her impeccable fashion sense. Word has it that Zara speaks her mind and isn't afraid to step on some toes. Royal author Robert Jobson dished to the Daily Mail that Zara Tindall has a special relationship with Prince William, thanks to the fact that they grew up together and remained close friends into adulthood. It is because of this special bond that Zara reportedly doesn't hesitate to reprimand William when she deems his ego too big. "She can tell the heir to the throne he is being pompous, and he takes it," Jobson revealed. 

Additionally, fellow royal author Ingrid Seward described Zara as "the sister William never had," during a chat with Hello! magazine. No wonder she can be blunt with him. Jobson similarly told Hello! that he believes Zara and her husband, Mike Tindall, will gradually start playing a bigger role despite not being working royals, especially once William ascends the throne. "She and Mike are optically helpful to the whole more modern, less taxpayer-funded monarchy that William is probably looking to try to achieve, without all the drama that comes with someone like his brother, who is nearer the throne [than Zara]," the royal expert argued.

Princess Anne's daughter also shows the more human side of the monarchy. Zara Tindall has weathered her fair share of tragedies, and she told an audience during a public talk in May 2025 that being royal doesn't make her family immune. "It is very hard to see from the outside. But, 100%, it is a family that is still going through the same struggles other people do," she shared, per Nine.com.au.