In what continues to be an unlucky year for the royal family, Princess Anne—long revered as the hardest working member of the royal family, based off of the staggering number of engagements she undertakes each year—is reportedly hospitalized after suffering “minor injuries and a concussion” at her home, Gatcombe Park, Tatler reports.
According to Buckingham Palace, Anne—the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip and someone who Tatler calls King Charles’ “secret weapon”—was injured last night while walking on her estate in Gloucestershire. Emergency services arrived at the scene, and Anne was given medical care; she was then taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where she remains as a “precautionary measure” for observation. Her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, accompanied her to the hospital, and, per Tatler, “She is expected to make a full and swift recovery.”
While exact details of the Princess Royal’s injury are unknown, her medical team is understood to believe they are consistent with a potential impact from a horse’s head or legs. It is understood that, in addition to her husband, Anne’s children Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall were also on the estate when the incident occurred.
A statement from the Palace said her older brother Charles is being kept abreast of developments when it comes to Anne: “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 statement read.
Though Anne’s news isn’t as serious as news about cancer that has struck the King, the Princess of Wales, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York—all earlier this year—it is a continuation of a spate of bad luck for the royal family, nonetheless. Earlier this year, with both Charles and Kate away from the public eye on medical leave—and Prince William tending to his wife and their three young children—Anne, as she always does, stepped up to the plate, carrying out an impressive 172 engagements from just January to April of this year alone, and taking on 31 percent of all royal appearances in the first three months of 2024, Tatler reports. Named “the hardest working royal” year after year, in 2023 Anne performed over 500 engagements.
“She is the person the King has known longest,” royal commentator Wesley Kerr OBE told Tatler. “She can be relied on for complete discretion and unconditional love. Anne is wise, intelligent, incredibly plugged into the modern United Kingdom. She understands completely who and what has shaped him and is eager for him to succeed, for the sake of their beloved mum and dad and for country and Commonwealth.”
Anne’s injury will provide, hopefully, a much-deserved rest and respite from duty, though it will mean that she will miss tomorrow’s Japanese state visit this week as she recovers. She will also, per The Sun, not be able to fly to Canada for a planned tour.
“Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” Buckingham Palace said.
Per The Sun, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that “Everyone in the country is immensely fond of Her Royal Highness. We’re all sending her our best wishes for a swift recovery.”
Prior to her injury, Anne has had a busy June, attending events honoring the 80th anniversary of D-Day earlier in the month, Trooping the Colour on June 15 and both the Order of the Garter service and Royal Ascot last week. Anne herself is a skilled horsewoman, even competing in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, People reports; she also expertly navigated her horse when it got rambunctious during the Trooping the Colour parade just over a week ago. The outlet reports that Anne is expected to return home to Gatcombe Park later this week.
