Princess Anne is in hospital with a concussion after she was thought to have been hit on the head by a horse.
The King’s sister, 73, was walking around her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire on Sunday evening when the incident happened.
But because of the injuries she suffered, she doesn’t seem to remember exactly what happened.
An air ambulance was called and she was treated at the scene before being taken by road to hospital. Her husband Sir Tim Laurence accompanied her. She is also believed to have minor head wounds and will be kept for observation for several days – meaning all her appointments have been cancelled, along with a working visit to Canada on Thursday.
However, she is conscious and comfortable and is expected to make a “full and speedy recovery.”
Princess Anne is in hospital with a concussion after she was thought to have been hit on the head by a horse
Princess Anne at Royal Ascot last Thursday. She is also believed to have minor head wounds and will be kept for observation for several days – meaning all her appointments have been canceled
The Princess Royal during the Trooping of the Colour. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: ‘Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and speedy recovery.’
The Princess Royal is being treated at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, part of North Bristol NHS Trust, a 45-minute, 30-mile drive from her home in Gloucestershire. She is expected to be discharged later this week (stock image)
What is known is that there were horses in the area at the time of the accident and her medical team says her wounds are consistent with a ‘potential impact’ resulting from a headbutt or kick by one or more animals.
As a result, Buckingham Palace officials have come to a best-working assumption about how Anne’s injuries were sustained.
The Princess Royal is being treated at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, part of North Bristol NHS Trust, a 45-minute, 30-mile drive from her home in Gloucestershire.
She is expected to be discharged later this week. It is the main trauma center for the region, a sign of how seriously the incident was treated. Her accident is the latest health problem to hit the royal family, following the King and Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis. Already one of the hardest working royals, even into her 70s, she has taken on an even more important role in recent times.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: ‘The Princess Royal suffered minor injuries and concussion following an incident at the Gatcombe Park estate last night. Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and speedy recovery.
“The King has been kept closely informed and joins the entire Royal Family in sending his dearest love and good wishes to the Princess for a speedy recovery.” Princess Anne is an experienced rider who competed in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1971. Her estate in Gatcombe Park, where she lives with her husband and her children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, is an equestrian paradise. .
She was reportedly walking within the ‘protected perimeter’ on Sunday when the accident occurred. It is not known whether she was alone, although her husband and children were all on the estate at the time. The palace said it would not confirm whether or not the princess was with anyone at the time.
A list of Princess Anne’s canceled engagements. Ailsa Anderson-Cole, Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary who also worked with the Princess Royal, told the Mail: ‘She will be furious at not being able to meet her obligations… and hates letting people down ‘
The King, Queen, Prince of Wales and Anne’s other siblings, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of York, were all immediately informed
Gatcombe Park In Gloucestershire – Home Of Princess Anne. An air ambulance was called and she was treated at the scene before being taken by road to hospital. Her husband Sir Tim Laurence accompanied her
An air ambulance was sent, but it was decided to take her to hospital by road.
Locals said they saw the air ambulance land around 9:15 p.m. One said: ‘I thought “oh my god, I hope it’s not Anne”.’
The King, Queen, Prince of Wales and Anne’s other siblings, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of York, were all immediately informed. A spokesperson also confirmed that, following advice from doctors, Her Royal Highness’s appointments for the coming week will be postponed.
She had eight appointments across the country before leaving for Canada on Thursday. “Her Royal Highness apologizes to anyone who may experience any inconvenience or disappointment as a result,” the palace said.
Ailsa Anderson-Cole, Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary who also worked with the Princess Royal, told the Mail: ‘She will be furious at not being able to meet her obligations… and hates letting people down to let go.’