Princess Anne shakes hands with robot in South Korea

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, shared a moment of delight with a humanoid robot during a visit to South Korea on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The interaction occurred at Korea University’s smart mobility laboratory in Seoul, where the advanced machine demonstrated its capabilities by running back and forth before stopping to wave at the royal. A smiling Princess Anne, wearing navy blue gloves, then leaned in to shake hands with the robot.

The visit was part of a broader trip to South Korea that began on Monday, July 13. During her time at the university, Anne engaged in discussions about artificial intelligence, learning how the robot improves its own systems through trial and error and simulation techniques. She was accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. The purpose of the stop was to observe collaborative efforts between British and Korean academics, researchers, and industry partners in science and technology.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Princess Royal honored British soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of the Imjin River during the Korean War, a conflict described as the bloodiest for British forces since World War II, claiming over 1,000 lives. During...