Princess Anne is in hospital after suffering minor head injuries and a concussion after it is believed she was kicked by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate.
The Princess Royal, 73, an Olympic medal-winning equestrian, was walking on her Gloucestershire estate on Sunday evening when the incident happened.
Emergency services were sent to the property and, following medical treatment at the scene, the princess was transferred to Southmead Hospital in Bristol for further examination, treatment and observation.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The Princess Royal suffered minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate last night.
“His Royal Highness remains at Southmead Hospital in Bristol as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and speedy recovery.
“The King has been kept well informed and joins the entire Royal Family in sending their greatest love and best wishes to the Princess for a speedy recovery.”
It is understood the princess was walking within the protected perimeter of Gatcombe Park when the incident occurred.
The exact cause of the injuries has not been confirmed, but Anne’s medical team said the head injuries were consistent with a potential impact on a horse’s head or legs.
Emergency services were sent to the property and the princess received medical attention at the scene.
She was transferred to a hospital for tests, treatment and observation, and was accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence.
Anne will now miss several engagements this week, including the Japanese State Visit state banquet on Tuesday and a visit to Canada.
A palace spokesperson said: “On the advice of doctors, His Royal Highness’s engagements for next week will be postponed. His Royal Highness apologizes to anyone who may be upset or disappointed by this.
“The State Visit to Japan will proceed as planned, although, unfortunately, His Royal Highness will be unable to attend the State Banquet tomorrow.”
Princess Anne is famous for her love of horses and was the first member of the Royal Family to participate in the Olympic Games in 1976, taking part in the three-day equestrian event.
The princess was even praised for her riding skills earlier this month when her horse got scared at Trooping the Colour.
She managed to control the nervous horse without interrupting the parade.
The Princess Royal was riding alongside Prince William and Prince Edward at the time of the incident, and Edward can be seen in footage of the incident turning around after realizing there was a problem with his horse Noble.
Zara Tindall said the princess remains a great equestrian decades after her Olympic appearance in Montreal, Canada.
“Our horses are our family, so there are always discussions about performances and things like that,” she said. PEOPLE last year.
“There are horses in her life, and she also breeds a little. So there’s always talk about horses.”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25507369/Screenshot_2024_06_26_at_1.22.30_PM.png?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "An AI-Designed Horse Bag Is Destroying This Small But Passionate Community")
