Princess Anne, sister of King Charles III, was hospitalized after an “incident” causing her “minor injuries and a concussion” to the head, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.
The 73-year-old princess “suffers minor injuries and a concussion following an incident at Gatcombe Park yesterday (Sunday) evening”, the palace said. The incident which caused this head shock was apparently caused by a horse. The daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, it is said. “The Princess Royal is recovering well (…) and remains under observation in hospital as a precautionary measure,” said a palace spokesperson. Gatcombe Park is his country home in the southwest of England.
Canceled appointments
The princess’s engagements planned for this week were canceled “on the recommendation of doctors”, added the spokesperson. The princess, very popular in England, was notably due to attend the state banquet organized Tuesday at Buckingham Palace in honor of the Emperor of Japan Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako. The princess was also scheduled to fly to Canada at the end of the week.
King Charles III, currently being treated for cancer but who has resumed his public engagements since mid-April, has been informed, the palace further specifies. Known for her strong but discreet character, Princess Anne has the reputation of being the most active member of the royal family, participating in several hundred engagements per year. She recently went to France to participate in the commemorations of the Allied Landings in Normandy.
High level rider
The Princess Royal is a top rider, and has even represented her country at the Olympic Games. It is on horseback that she takes part in numerous official military parades, such as last June 15 for the one marking the official birthday of the sovereign. During this ceremony, Princess Kate, wife of Crown Prince William and suffering from cancer, made her comeback in public, after six months of absence.
Anne had two children – Peter and Zara – from her first marriage to equestrian Mark Philipps. After their divorce in 1992, she married Commander Timothy Laurence, a former equerry to Queen Elizabeth, nine months later.
