Princess Anne in hospital after suspected injury from horse

London: Princess Anne is recovering in hospital from concussion and other minor head wounds after she was suspected to have been kicked by a horse at her country residence, Buckingham Palace said.

The King’s younger sister, 73, was walking at Gatcombe Park when she suffered the injuries and was taken to hospital in Bristol, in the west of England, for tests, treatment and observation and is expected to return home later this week.

Princess Anne is an accomplished horsewoman and was praised last weekend for her control of Noble, the King’s lively horse, during Trooping the Colour.Credit: Getty Images

While the exact cause of the injuries were unconfirmed, her medical team said they were consistent with having had contact with the legs or head of a horse.

An air ambulance was called but, after being treated at the scene, the princess was taken by road to Southmead Hospital, which has a specialist head injury unit.

A palace spokesman said the princess “is recovering well, is in a comfortable condition and is being kept in hospital as a precautionary measure for further observation.” She was expected to “make a full and swift recovery.”

Anne’s husband, Sir Tim Laurence, accompanied her to hospital while her daughter, Zara Tindall, and son, Peter Phillips, were also on the estate. It is not known who raised the alarm.

The princess’ siblings – including the King – the Queen and the Prince of Wales were notified of the incident on Sunday night. The palace said Charles had joined the whole royal family in “sending his fondest love and well wishes to the princess for a speedy recovery.”

It is the latest setback for the family, which has struggled with the illnesses of two of its most visible members, Charles and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, both of whom have been diagnosed with cancer. As the second child of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Anne was third in line to the throne when she was born, and she is now 17th in the line of succession.

Anne’s accident will also deprive the royal family of one of its hardest workers. She routinely logs more than 400 public events a year – often the most of any family member – and with the thinning of the ranks of senior royals in recent years, has shouldered an even heavier load.

An accomplished equestrian, Anne competed for Britain in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. At Trooping the Colour this month, she was pictured expertly keeping her horse under control when it appeared agitated.

Princess Anne and Lady Gabriella Kingston wave to the crowds as they arrive by carriage on the first day of the Royal Ascot last week. Credit: AP

Doctors have recommended she postpone engagements for the week ahead, with the palace confirming a trip to Canada later in the week will no longer go ahead. She will also miss a state banquet for Emperor Naruhito of Japan, and his wife, Empress Masako, a palace official said, that is being hosted by the King and Queen on Tuesday evening.

Last February she appeared in public with a large bruise on her head after sustaining a gardening injury at the estate, which is near Stroud, in Gloucestershire. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said at the time she was hit by a falling branch as she pruned trees.

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