Princess Anne Hospitalized After Concerning Incident
Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles III, was sent to Southmead Hospital in Bristol after an unknown occurrence that took place on Sunday June 23, 2024. A statement from Buckingham Palace did not confirm any details of what happened, noting only that she sustained a concussion and other minor injuries. The worrying incident occurred at her Gatcombe Park estate and it's believed it could have involved a horse, though it's unclear from their official statement.
Anne was hospitalized as a precaution, with Buckingham Palace clarifying: "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," (via BBC).
Some of Princess Anne's upcoming engagements have been canceled due to the circumstances. She will no longer be a guest at the state dinner for Japanese emperor Emperor Naruhito or travel to Canada as she was supposed to at the end of the week. A spokesperson added, "Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result" (via The Independent).
Princess Anne has been injured by horses before
It's believed a horse may have hit Princess Anne with its head or legs to cause her injuries. However, as a lifelong fan of horses who's been injured by horseback riding many times before, it's unlikely this instance would dampen the princess' love for the animal. Anne made history at the 1976 Olympics (on Queen Elizabeth II's horse) when she was the first British royal to compete in the games. However, in the months prior to the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Anne was injured while horseback riding.
The New York Times reported that the incident happened in April 1976. After spending four days in the hospital, the outlet wrote, "The 25-year-old daughter of Queen Elizabeth II suffered [a] concussion, bruises and a hairline fracture of a vertebra on Wednesday when her mount stumbled, fell to the ground and rolled over her."
At the time, the newspaper also quoted Anne's doctor Dr. Richard Bayliss, who said, "She should be riding again within a few weeks." Sure enough, Anne was able to ride again and make it to the Olympics, although she suffered another injury then. After falling off the queen's horse Goodwill, Anne mounted again to complete the event but later said, "It was going very well and then I don't remember anything else. Nothing at all" (via The U.S. Sun). The tragic truth about Anne is that these aren't even the only injuries she has gotten through her life from horses.
What happened with Anne and her horse in 2008?
A similar situation to what seemed to have happened to Princess Anne in 2024 reportedly also happened in 2008. At the time, Anne was spotted using a walking stick. Although there was no official word from Buckingham Palace as to why, an insider said, "I understand she was kicked by a horse while at home at Gatcombe Park at the weekend" (via Daily Mail). The source continued and said the stick was just a temporary measure to help her get around, and sure enough, she didn't need to use it permanently.
Just a few weeks before her 2024 hospitalization, Anne rode a horse alongside Prince Edward and Prince William at Trooping the Colour 2024. Anne was able to keep her horse under control when it started getting antsy, as shown in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Hopefully, Anne will recover quickly and get back to horseback riding when she can, as it is a passion of hers and for other members of the royal family. Anne's daughter Zara Tindall, who seems to be close with her mother, told People how important equestrianism is to her family in 2023. "Any equestrian sport, that partnership between the horse and rider, or an owner and the horse is, it's incredible," she said. "We're very lucky to work with horses."