Royal Family Removes Princess Anne's Next Engagement Following Hospitalization for Horse 'Incident'

The Princess Royal was injured with a concussion at home on June 23

 Princess Anne stands in the stadium
Princess Anne at the CHIO Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, on June 27, 2023. Photo:

Rolf Vennenbernd/Picture Alliance via Getty

Princess Anne is moving around her calendar following her hospitalization for a horse-related "incident" last month. 

As of July 7, a tweak was reportedly made to The Royal Diary section of the royal family's website involving King Charles' sister, 73. The Royal Diary is the record of official engagements that working members of the royal family plan to undertake with updates published weeks in advance. 

"The diary on @RoyalFamily website has been updated to remove Princess Anne's engagement next week, as she is still recovering from her accident last month," Gert's Royals reported over the weekend.

The Royal Diary currently lists Princess Anne's next scheduled outing as a visit to the NLV Pharos ship off the west coast of Scotland in her role as Patron of the Northern Lighthouse Board on July 15 and 16. 

Princess Anne and her husband Timothy Lawrence ride in a carriage after attending the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle on June 17, 2024 in Windsor, England.
Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence after attending the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle on June 17, 2024.

Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty

On June 24, Buckingham Palace announced that Princess Anne sustained a concussion and minor injuries in a horse-related accident at her country home the day prior, and was hospitalized as a "precautionary measure."

"The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening. Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery," they said in a statement.

"The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to The Princess for a speedy recovery," they continued.

Due to the concussion that Princess Anne sustained, the exact details of the accident are unable to be ascertained. However, her injuries are consistent with a potential impact from a horse's head or legs. 

Princess Anne, Princess Royal during Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 in London, England. Trooping the Colour is a ceremonial parade celebrating the official birthday of the British Monarch.
Princess Anne rides at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 in London.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Princess Anne's injuries meant that she had to drop out of the Buckingham Palace banquet that King Charles threw on June 25 in honor of the Japanese state visit, and her trip to Canada later that week was also canceled on medical advice.

The royal was discharged from the hospital on June 28, and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, thanked the Southmead Hospital team for "their care, expertise and kindness" during her stay. 

It's understood that Princess Anne will continue to recuperate at her Gatcombe Park home and resume royal duties when her medical team determines it is safe. On June 25, The Telegraph reported that the royal suffered memory loss, thought to be temporary, relating to the incident. No further details have been released, other than that the accident involved a hard impact from a horse.

Princess Anne Gives Firm Instructions to Eat Cake She Cut: ‘Otherwise It’s Legalized Vandalism’
Princess Anne at the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre on February 8, 2024 in London.

James manning - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Princess Anne is a lifelong equestrian who rode for Team Great Britain at the Olympics in 1976, and showed off her skills when her horse got spooked in the streets of London during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 15. In April 2023, her daughter Zara Tindall told PEOPLE that horses are constantly a topic of conversation between them.

"Our horses are in our family, so there's always discussions about performances and things like that. There's horses in her life and she does a bit of breeding as well. So there's always horse conversation going on," Zara told PEOPLE at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian.

Related Articles