Princess Anne has spoken out for the first time about a suspected horse accident that saw her spend five nights in hospital with concussion – and the valuable life lesson she has learned
Princess Anne has broken her silence on her horror horse incident that left her in hospital – and the frightening life lesson it has taught her.
King Charles’ sister was left concussed and bruised after the suspected accident involving a horse that saw her rushed to hospital. Speaking about the terrifying incident, the princess suggested she had a lucky escape from serious injury.
And her brush with an emergency last June appears to have taught her a valuable life lesson – that “every day is a bonus”. The Princess Royal revealed that she was on the way to see chickens on her Gatcombe Park estate when the accident happened but has no memory of what followed. Despite the uncertainty, her injuries indicated that the incident likely involved the princess being struck by a horse.
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In an interview after a whirlwind two-day tour of Cape Town that ended on Wednesday, the King’s sister was asked about her future and whether retirement was an option and replied: “It really isn’t written in, no. It isn’t really an option, no, I don’t think so. You’re jolly lucky… if you can continue to be more or less compos mentis and last summer I was very close to not being Take each day as it comes, they say.”
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Asked if she remembered anything about the acciden
Asked if she remembered anything about the accident she said: “No, nothing.” When questioned whether the last thing she recalled was walking into a field, Anne said: “No, don’t even remember that. I know where I thought I was going and that was to go to the chickens, no, nothing to do with horses.”
She added that seeing the chickens was “my regular visit, I don’t have any idea what I was doing in the field, because I never normally went that way. It just reminds you, shows you – you never quite know, something (happens) and you might not recover.”
Princess Anne at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWCG), Company’s Garden in Cape Town (
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After the accident, an air ambulance and emergency services were dispatched to her Gloucestershire estate and, following medical care at the scene, the princess was transferred to Southmead Hospital in Bristol by road for tests, treatment and observation. The princess spent five nights in hospital after the accident on June 23 and did not return to public royal duties until almost three weeks later.
Asked about any lasting ill effects, she lightened the mood and joked: “Apparently not, at least I don’t think so. As far as I know, nobody else thinks so – they haven’t been honest enough to tell me yet. So far so good. You are sharply reminded that every day is a bonus really.”
Anne was due to visit South Africa with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence but he missed the trip after suffering a suspected torn ligament from an injury he suffered while working on the Gatcombe estate.
Anne back in the UK today at Grand Military Gold Cup Day at Sandown Park Racecourse (
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PA)During her Cape Town visit, Anne laid a wreath at a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) memorial, the first to recognise the sacrifices of black South Africans and other races who died working as First World War labourers helping Britain’s war effort in east and south-west Africa.
She performed the task as CWGC president, a role that had been carried out by the Duke of Kent, 89, since 1970 with Anne taking over in 2023 due to his advancing years. The princess said: “I’m very lucky to take on from the Duke of Kent the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, but he’s been doing that for a very long time, he did it very well and has covered the globe in support of them.
“And I’m perfectly certain he was really reluctant to give that up, but in the end, he felt physically that he couldn’t travel as much, and he couldn’t be as efficient in supporting – and I was lucky enough to be asked.
“On the one hand, you go for as long as you can, but you have to accept there are some things you can’t do anymore, and he did that, and I’m the beneficiary of that which has allowed me to take that on.”
Anne is a key member of the King’s slimmed-down working monarchy and has played an important role as she stepped up in support of Charles amid his cancer diagnosis. The princess is also known for her no-nonsense approach and her commitment to royal duty. She carried out her first public engagement in 1969 aged 18 when she opened an educational and training centre in Shropshire and a year later began her longest association with a charity, becoming president of Save the Children and later patron.
