Princess Anne mistakenly thought England rugby player Joe Heyes was former teammate Joe Marler during the Calcutta Cup pre-match formalities at Murrayfield last Saturday. The Princess Royal, patron of Scottish Rugby, stopped to chat with Heyes and remarked on how amusing he had been on the BBC show Celebrity Traitors.
Heyes, a 26-year-old Leicester Tigers prop, said he was initially starstruck but quickly realized the error. 'She thought I was Joe Marler, which was quite upsetting,' Heyes told reporters. 'She said: “You’re awfully funny on TV.” Who am I to correct her? I didn’t really know what to say. I almost went with it.'
Marler, 35, retired from rugby in November 2024 after winning 95 caps for England. He appeared on Celebrity Traitors alongside Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, and Jonathan Ross, reaching the final before being voted out. Heyes, who earned his 19th England cap that day, noted he has often been mistaken for Marler but never by royalty.
Despite the mix-up, Heyes described meeting the princess as a special moment. 'I do like it when you get to meet the patron of whatever union you’re playing against. It’s a very cool moment,' he said.
