Amused Princess Anne shakes hands with robot during activity-packed South Korea visit as royal fans joke 'but can it curtsy?'

Princess Anne has undertaken thousands of official engagements across the world, but nothing could have prepared the 'hardest working royal' for her recent meet and greet. The typically stoic Anne, 75, couldn't conceal her amusement as she came face-to-face with a humanoid robot during an official three-day trip to South Korea. On Wednesday, Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, watched the robot speeding around a smart mobility laboratory at Korea University in Seoul. A video on the Royal Family's official Instagram account showed how the robot paused to wave at Anne, prompting a smile from the King's sister. While Anne seemed impressed by the state-of-the-art machine, fans joked it hadn't been trained in royal protocol when the clip showed the robot awkwardly shaking hands with the princess.'But can it curtsy?' one Instagram user quipped, reacting to the moment when the robot pulled its arm away too quickly as Anne leaned forward and held out her hand. It was reported that the former Olympian is extremely interested in artificial intelligence, and Anne heard how the robot learns movement from trial and error as well as simulation. Korea University and University College London signed a cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2023 and operate a joint fund to support cutting-edge research projects. The typically stoic Anne, 75, couldn't conceal her amusement as she came face-to-face with a humanoid robot during an official three-day trip to South KoreaEarlier this week, Anne began her official tour of South Korea by honouring the sacrifice of soldiers who fought in the Battle of Imjin River. Anne and Sir Tim travelled to the vast United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on Tuesday.She left a wreath of red flowers at the base of a lion statue in honour of fallen British servicemen during a poignant service commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Imjin River conflict – the bloodiest engagement endured by the British Army since the Second World War.The King’s sister also personally laid a single white chrysanthemum on the grave of Private Martin Hogan, who served in the British Army’s Black Watch, marking the anniversary of his death aged 19 on July 14 1952.She toured the graves and listened to the stories of some of the Victoria Cross heroes who were killed in action and interred in the cemetery.Among them was Lieutenant Philip Curtis, from Devonport in Devon, who was posthumously awarded the UK’s highest military decoration for gallantry in the face of the enemy for continuing to command his platoon at Imjin River despite being wounded.He launched persistent counter-attacks against an enemy machine-gun post until he was killed in action.And she visited the final resting place of Major Patrick Angier, of The Gloucestershire Regiment, who was finally identified in 2023 through analysis of historical record including maps, telegrams, reports and letters.Major Angier was killed at Imjin River but was interred as an unknown soldier for more than 70 years. A video on the Royal Family's official Instagram account showed how the robot paused to wave at Anne, prompting a smile from the King's sister On Friday, Princess Anne travelled from South Korea to Thailand as she attended a 'Women in STEM' showcase and award presentation During the battle, around 4,000 troops of the British 29th Brigade, including about 700 from 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment, faced more than 27,000 men of the Chinese 63rd Army during the Korean War.Over three days from April 22-25 1951, the “Glorious Glosters” fought a last stand on Hill 235, which was later renamed Gloster Hill.Some 59 men died in the defence of the hill and 526 were taken prisoner – 180 of them wounded. Another 34 men died in captivity.But their heroic tactics delayed the advance of the Communist troops, preventing them from outflanking the forces of the Republic of Korea and United Unions, and blocking a direct assault on the capital Seoul.The princess also took tea with Korean war veterans – Ryu Young-bong, 92, Kim Eung-soo, 94, and 95-year-old Jeong Sik-hyeon.Anne was said to have listened intently to the accounts of the three servicemen and expressed “her deepest respect and gratitude for their immense sacrifice and devotion”, a spokesperson for the United Nations Memorial Cemetery said.A total of 2,339 UN servicemen from 14 nations are buried at the cemetery.The princess later had an audience with South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung at his Cheongwadae residence – also known as the Blue House – in Seoul.And at a reception in the capital celebrating the UK’s ties to the republic, Anne met members of the K-Pop band NMIXX, with whom the British Embassy has a girls’ empowerment partnership.The princess last visited South Korea in 2018 for the Winter Olympics, and the trip is the first to the republic by a member of the royal family for 13 years, since the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Gloucester travelled there in 2013.The King, as the Prince of Wales, and his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, carried out an official tour to South Korea in 1992.