In this May 17, 2024, file photo, Britain's Princess Anne attends the Not Forgotten Association Annual Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London.Victoria Jones/Reuters
Princess Anne has been hospitalized for a concussion she suffered during an accident Sunday evening, which has forced her to cancel a planned trip to St. John’s this week.
Palace officials said Anne sustained minor injuries and a concussion after an incident at Gatcombe Park estate where she lives with her husband, Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence, and their children. Officials said she is expected to make a full and swift recovery.
The accident is believed to have happened while Anne was walking in the grounds near a group of horses. According to royal sources she suffered wounds to the head consistent with the impact from a horse’s head or leg. She was taken by ambulance to Southmead Hospital, Bristol, for tests and treatment. A royal spokesman said Anne was recovering well and was expected to be released from the hospital later this week.
Princess Anne had been expected to fly to St. John’s on Sunday to commemorate the centennial of the Newfoundland National War Memorial on July 1. However, doctors have advised that she cancel the trip.
Plans are being examined in close consultation with the Canadian government to determine how the Princess’s proposed engagements may be adapted, royal officials said.
The Princess will also miss a state banquet held in honour of the Emperor and Empress of Japan’s visit Tuesday evening.
A palace spokesman said that the Japanese state visit will go ahead as planned, though Princess Anne will be unable to attend the state banquet tomorrow.
Anne is the latest royal to seek medical care. Her brother, King Charles III, and the Princess of Wales have been undergoing treatment for cancer.
While Charles has resumed some engagements, Catherine has remained largely out of public view. She did make an appearance during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 15, which marks the celebration of the monarch’s birthday.
In a statement before the Trooping, Catherine said she was “not out of the woods yet,” and had “good days and bad days.”