Princess Anne 'frustrated' by horse injury as her husband gives recovery update

28 June 2024 , 08:56

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Princess Anne will be 'frustrated' by her slow recovery, a royal expert claims (Image: PA)

The Princess Royal 'won't enjoy being asked to slow down' after suffering a concussion, a royal expert has said.

Anne, 73, is said to be keen to get back on her feet following an incident involving a horse at the Gatcombe Park estate on Sunday evening, that left her with minor head injuries. The Princess is under observation at Southmead Hospital in Bristol as a 'precautionary measure', Buckingham Palace confirmed, and is expected to make a 'full and swift recovery'.

But according to her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, who has visited the royal throughout this week, the King's sister is recovering slowly. Sir Tim shared: "She'll be out when she's ready". It will feel like a very long wait for the Princess, who is dubbed the hardest-working royal due to her strong work ethic and dedication to the crown.

The Princess Royal has always ridden horseback and is renowned for being a lifelong equestrian (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publis)

Sharing an insight into Anne's mindset, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Express: "She [Princess Anne], like her father the late Prince Philip, won't enjoy being asked to slow down and she will be a most impatient patient. She found the lockdowns frustrating as she could not meet people, whilst doing her charitable work, which she loves."

He added: "She is suffering from concussion, as she did nearly 40 years ago. As an expert on equestrian matters she should, after briefly resting on doctors' orders, make a swift recovery." While the exact cause of her injuries is unconfirmed, it is believed she was kicked by a horse and, due to her concussion, is unable to remember precise details of the incident.

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A Palace spokesperson said on Monday: "The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening. Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery.

"The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the princess for a speedy recovery." The Palace added: "Her Royal Highness is receiving appropriate expert care. No further details are being shared at this stage. Her Royal Highness will remain in Southmead Hospital unless or until her medical team advise otherwise."

Anne suffered a concussion after falling off her horse Goodwill at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal (Getty Images)

Several engagements Anne was due to undertake were cancelled in the wake of her injuries, including the state banquet for the Japanese State Visit on Tuesday and a visit to Canada. A Palace spokesman said on Monday that Anne "sends her apologies", explaining: "On doctors' advice, Her Royal Highness's engagements for the week ahead will be postponed."

It is not the first time skilled horsewoman Anne has collided with a horse. The Princess is renowned for being a lifelong equestrian, with multiple horses resident at the Gloucestershire estate's stables. She's previously won a string of medals throughout a glittering equestrian sports career, including the 1971 European Championship title.

The Princess was also the first royal to compete in the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976. But, the three-day event failed to go to plan after Anne's horse Goodwill failed to make one of the jumps on the course and the Princess hit the ground and cracked a vertebra. She quickly remounted the horse, but reports revealed that she remembered little of the remaining competition, having suffered from a concussion during the accident.

Anne admitted in an interview: "It was going very well and then I don't remember anything else. Nothing at all." Her former lady-in-waiting, Jane Holderness-Roddam, later recalled the incident on an ITV documentary. She said: "She was that concussed that she couldn't remember - and still to this day I believe can't remember - the rest of the course."

Nia Dalton