What Happened To Princess Anne? The Royal's Head Injury, Explained

Princess Anne has had to endure many tragic moments in her life, from being separated from her family to being the victim of a kidnapping plot. Now, she can add a serious head injury caused by a horsing incident to that list. In late June 2024, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement that the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip had been involved in an accident. "The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening," the statement read. The Palace further explained that Princess Anne would be staying in the hospital as a precaution while she recovered. 

Princess Anne's husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, later gave an update on Anne's health outside of the hospital. He told reporters (via GB News), "She is recovering well, thank you. We are both profoundly grateful to the medical team and hospital support staff for their expert care — and to the emergency services who were all so wonderful at the scene." Tim expressed his gratitude for all the well-wishes his wife received, but mixed into those well-wishes were concerns about how Princess Anne got injured in the first place.

Buckingham Palace's original statement didn't actually include details about what caused Princess Anne's concussion. However, media outlets later revealed that the royal's head injury was caused by a horsing accident. It was believed that Princess Anne was either head-butted or kicked by a horse.  Still, details remain foggy regarding Princess Anne's serious health incident.

Perhaps the reason Buckingham Palace didn't reveal the cause of Princess Anne's injury in their statement was because the royal couldn't remember herself. According to The Telegraph, Princess Anne suffered temporary memory loss after the incident that occurred at Gatcombe Park. As a result, she was reportedly unable to recall specific details. However, medical officials revealed that Princess Anne's head injury was likely caused by a horse's head or legs. After a five-night stay in the hospital, the royal was discharged and has since made a statement regarding her royal duties.

Prior to her injury, the hardest working royal was scheduled to attend a memorial service in Canada but canceled after the accident. She released a statement (via The U.S. Sun) expressing her sincerest apology for having to miss out on the event. "It is with deep regret that I am unable to be with you today, as you commemorate the brave efforts and sacrifices of the members of the Newfoundland Regiment who went into battle on the first day of the Somme," she said. She went on to discuss some of her past visits, before apologizing once more. She shared, "...I am deeply saddened that I'm unable to join you again, and I send you my warmest best wishes on this special day of commemoration." With her hospital release and statement, it seemed like Princess Anne was on the road to recovery, but family members are still worried for the royal.

Princess Anne has stepped up to the plate amid King Charles and Kate Middleton's cancer diagnoses. In early May 2024, the Daily Mail reported that Anne has taken on a significant number of royal duties amid Charles and Kate's absence. The outlet reported that the princess put a third of all royal engagements under her belt just in the first four months of 2024. While many would say it's her royal duty to step up, Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindell,is reportedly concerned that her mother is taking on too much, especially with her latest injury.

A royal insider revealed to OK! Magazine that Zara is incredibly distressed about her mother's well-being. They shared, "This is exactly what Zara's been worried about happening for years now, but her mom hasn't had a chance to slow down with everyone else falling apart." Temporarily losing her memory in the accident has caused the stress to heighten. The source said, "It's really shaken Zara to the core and she's desperately hoping this memory is temporary. This has been a huge wake-up call for everyone in the family and they're rightfully distressed." Princess Anne's health is clearly a big concern for the royal family, who has had to cope with some difficult situations in the past couple of months.