Princess Anne today spoke about her health for the first time since suffering a concussion and minor injuries in a horse incident at her country home. The brave princess admitted she remembers nothing about the incident, and the royal family has forced her to make a shocking decision about her recent health.
King Charles’s little sister left hospital after five days of medical treatment a few weeks ago. The royal family’s calendar and website have been updated to remove Princess Anne’s engagements next week as she continues to recover from last month’s accident. As she takes a short break, the public and media can expect regular updates, putting pressure on Princess Anne and the royal family to provide ongoing updates on her health. There are risks in posting a photo; if she looks too frail it could cause more concern, but if she looks too healthy it could be seen as downplaying the seriousness of her condition.
In a joint statement, King Charles expressed his concern for his sister following her recent visit to the Disabled Riding Association National Championships. He has been kept up to date on the situation and joins the entire Royal Family in sending his sincere wishes for the Princess’s recovery.
Anne, who was performing today at Harper Adams University in Newport, was nursing her bruised left eye and her face covered in make-up. Despite her injuries, the Princess was in great shape. It was a great honour for the Princess to attend the GDR, her only event since the incident. It is extremely motivating and inspiring to see her here.
Since the incident, which left her with a concussion and minor head injuries, the princess has been recovering at home in Gloucestershire, following standard concussion protocols. Palace officials said she would continue her rehabilitation at home as she gradually returns to public life.
As Princess Anne left the hospital, her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, issued a brief statement expressing his gratitude to his care team: “I would like to warmly thank the team at St. Mary’s Hospital for their care, expertise and kindness during my wife’s stay,” Sir Timothy said. He briefly updated reporters on his wife’s health after visiting her in hospital on June 26, saying she was slowly recovering and would be discharged when she was ready.
Anne’s medical team said her head injuries were consistent with a possible impact from a horse’s head or legs, but her concussion made the precise details of how the incident happened unclear. An air ambulance was dispatched to take the princess to hospital, but she eventually travelled by road after being treated by an emergency crew at the scene.
Considered the hardest-working royal in the tally of official engagements recorded in the Court Circular, the Princess Royal has been forced to clear her schedule after sustaining an injury. A palace spokesman confirmed she would not be attending the banquet hosted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace on June 25 in honour of the Japanese state visit. Her trip to Canada later in the week has also been cancelled on medical advice.
Last year, Princess Anne was proclaimed the hardest-working member of the Royal Family, having attended the most engagements listed in the Court Circular. Her son Peter Phillips has spoken of how inspired he was by his parents’ drive: “Both our parents have had a huge influence on Zara and me, and I think it’s mainly their work ethic,” he explained earlier this year. “They’re both incredibly hard-working, and both in their 70s, they still work a lot harder than they could have imagined. But as my mother always said, from their perspective, they had great role models in my grandparents who were still working in their 90s,” referring to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. “Everyone has a lot to do and, ultimately, they all live by example.”
