27 June, 2024

Sean Coughlan Royal Correspondent Welcome to this week’s Royal Watch. Princess Anne’s hospitalisation for a head wound sparked concerns. The princess was believed to have been struck by a horse. ‌ Meanwhile, her brother King Charles was playing host to a state visit from Japan.  ‌

Anne still recovering after accident Princess Anne had an unexpected stay in a Bristol hospital this week after getting a head injury, thought to have been caused by a horse. ‌ The Princess Royal suffered a concussion, which seems to be why it’s not clear what happened to her.

Princess Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence has visited her in hospital and says she will be “out when she's ready”. Credit: PA But her medical team say the minor head wound looks like the type of injury caused by a horse’s leg or head.  ‌ There were horses nearby when the accident happened while the princess was walking on her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire. ‌ The 73-year-old princess is known as a no-fuss, hard-working figure and we know from your emails that she’s popular with Royal Watch readers around the world.

The Princess Royal, pictured with her daughter Zara Tindall in 2023, has long hosted equestrian events on the family’s estate. Credit: PA She’s expected to make a full recovery, but it’s meant postponing a week of engagements, including a planned trip to Canada. ‌ It’s another name on the royal sick list. Anne had been helping to fill the gaps while the King and the Princess of Wales recover from illness.