Princess Anne Makes Rare Joke About Brother King Charles: 'I Need to Say That'

Princess Anne kept it lighthearted while addressing a group of charities gathered to help ring in her 75th birthday.

The royal, who invited representatives from over 100 organizations to Buckingham Palace for a forum ahead of her Aug. 15 birthday, delivered a speech to her 200-plus guests after hearing from charity leaders Sarah Woolnough of The King's Fund, David Holdsworth of the Charity Commission and Zoe Amar of Zoe Amar Digital.

"I'm not here because this was my choice," the Princess Royal told the crowd. "You very kindly asked me to become patron of your organizations, so it's an honor for me to have all of you here."

Then, slipping in a joke about her brother King Charles, she said, "I would just like to make the point that we are very fortunate that His Majesty has allowed us to use Buckingham Palace for this event tonight — and I need to say that — it does help."

Anne's Charities Forum gathered on Friday, June 6, to discuss "challenges facing the sector, public trust in charities and the opportunities and risks presented by new technologies," the royal family shared on their official website.

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While the Princess Royal slipped some of her well-known dry humor into her speech, she also took the opportunity to thank the attendees, who were invited from the over 300 charities she supports. Representatives from both Save the Children and Riding for the Disabled — Anne's most longstanding patronages — were in attendance at the forum.

"The responsibility and respect that you give to your own organizations, the people who work for you and your own beneficiaries, is perhaps the key to what makes you so important," she told the forum audience. "Respect and responsibility. Thank you very much for doing what you do."

Anne and Charles have shown their tight bond over the years, including on one of the most important days in the King's life: his coronation. The Princess Royal attended the 2023 crowning of her elder brother and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, where she served as Gold-Stick-in-Waiting.

Anne has held the prestigious role since 1998. The position is hundreds of years old, dating all the way back to the 15th century, when officers were tasked with keeping the monarch from harm by staying in close proximity.

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Princess Anne led 6,000 armed services personnel to Buckingham Palace on horseback during the King's coronation day, which reflected the close relationship between the siblings, Anne's daughter Zara Tindall told PEOPLE at the time.

"It's a busy time for them all, and her and her brother are very close, so it's a nice thing to do," Zara said.

The King also showed his respect for his sister by making her a Counsellor of State after his accession in September 2022. The duty means that Anne can execute constitutional duties if the King is abroad or unwell.