Princess Anne caused concern among royal watchers last summer when she was hospitalized following an accident at her home on the Gatcombe Estate.
The 74-year-old Princess Royal spent several days in a Bristol hospital recovering from a concussion. Initial reports speculated that the injury involved her horses, as her medical team noted her head trauma aligned with a potential impact from a horse’s head or legs.
However, speaking publicly about the incident for the first time, Princess Anne revealed the circumstances were quite different from what the public imagined.
She explained that she had been heading to check on her chickens at Gatcombe Park when the accident occurred, though she has no memory of the event itself.
When asked about the incident, Anne admitted, “No, nothing,” and elaborated that even her intention to see the chickens was all she could recall. “I don’t even remember walking into the field. I know where I thought I was going, and that was to the chickens—nothing to do with horses,” she clarified.
Reflecting on the accident, she remarked, “It just shows you—you never quite know. Something happens, and you might not recover.” Fortunately, the Princess assured that she has not experienced any long-term effects, joking, “As far as I know, nobody else thinks so either—or they haven’t told me yet. So far, so good.”
Anne also acknowledged her good health, noting, “Every day is a bonus, really.”
Her resilience is all the more significant as her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, is currently recovering from a torn ligament, also sustained on their Gatcombe Estate, which prevented him from joining her on her tour to South Africa.
