Princess Anne Expertly Handles Rambunctious Horse During Trooping the Colour Parade

The Princess Royal, who showed off her equestrian skills at the 1976 Olympics, knew just what to do when her horse got spooked at King Charles' birthday celebration

Princess Anne is in command.

On June 15, the Princess Royal, 73, flexed her equestrian skills while riding in the procession at Trooping the Colour when her horse, Noble, began acting jittery. As seen in a viral video shared on X, Princess Anne steered Noble forward when the horse started throwing his head and cantering in place. She pushed her horse forward as she rode beside Prince William and Prince Edward, who turned twice beneath his bearskin hat to see what was happening.

Princess Anne, Prince William and Prince Edward stayed in formation on their mounts Noble, Darby and Sir John as they processed into Horse Guards Parade behind King Charles and Queen Camilla. The couple traveled by carriage amid the King's cancer treatment.

Later, the royals on horseback showed off their salute with one hand on the reins.

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Princess Anne's graceful save was no surprise given her years of experience in the saddle. Queen Elizabeth's daughter became the first member of the British royal family to participate in the Olympics when she rode in the three-day event at the Montreal Games in 1976, and her daughter Zara Tindall said she remains involved in the horse world today.

"Our horses are in our family, so there's always discussions about performances and things like that. There's horses in her life, and she does a bit of breeding as well. So there's always horse conversation going on," Zara exclusively told PEOPLE at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in April 2023.

Despite the moment of drama, Noble was already known and loved by royal watchers. Last year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police gifted the black mare to King Charles, 75, who "personally requested" a horse from its Musical Ride program for use during Trooping the Colour.

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"Noble toured with the RCMP’s Musical Ride in 2022, where she was recognized for her superior physical and athletic ability as well as her composed personality. Having demonstrated her potential during the tour with the Musical Ride, participating in 90 public performances at 50 different locations in Canada, Noble was selected as the ideal horse for His Majesty because of her size and ability," the royal family said in a statement at the time. "Her calm demeanor allows her to thrive in the sometimes raucous atmosphere of exciting public events."

King Charles trotted into the spotlight on Noble at Trooping the Colour in June 2023 for the first birthday parade of his royal reign, reviving an equestrian tradition. Queen Elizabeth last rode during Trooping the Colour in 1986 on her beloved horse Burmese but opted to take a carriage in the years that followed.

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The palace previously announced that the King would travel by carriage instead of horseback riding at Trooping the Colour in light of his cancer treatment. The British monarch resumed public-facing duties in late April after the palace announced that he was diagnosed with cancer and began treatment on Feb. 5.

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