Princess Anne was released from the hospital on Friday, five days after suffering a concussion and minor injuries at her country home in Gloucestershire, England.
Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that Anne — King Charles III’s younger sister — was being treated at Southmead Hospital in Bristol and was expected to “make a full and swift recovery.” A spokesperson for the palace told the New York Times that Anne, 73, “is recovering well, is in a comfortable condition, and is being kept in hospital as a precautionary measure for further observation.” When Anne’s husband, Timothy Laurence, visited her this week, he said she was “recovering slowly.”
Although the palace didn’t specify the cause of Anne’s injuries, the BBC reports that she was walking at Gatcombe Park, her country estate, when the incident took place. NBC reports that there were horses nearby and her medical team said her injuries are consistent with possible impact from a horse’s head or legs. Known as the Princess Royal, Anne loves horses and competed for Britain in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
Anne is widely considered “the hardest-working royal” (she attended the most events of any member of the family last year, per People) and had to slow down her schedule, at least this week. She missed Tuesday’s banquet for the Japanese state visit, and her trip to Canada, originally set for this week, has been postponed, according to the BBC.
Her injuries come during an already difficult year for the royals’ health, with both Kate Middleton and King Charles undergoing treatment for cancer. The palace said Charles is being “kept closely informed” about Anne’s condition “and joins the whole royal family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the princess for a speedy recovery.”
This post has been updated.
