Princess Anne won’t be discharged from the hospital ‘until later this week’

I spent too much time trying to figure out exactly what happened to Princess Anne, and what was the “incident” which led to Anne being hospitalized for head injuries and a concussion. No one has the answer, but I think I know why – whatever happened, it went down when Anne was alone with one or more of her horses, and she’s so concussed, she has no memory of exactly what happened. That’s what the Mail said – that she was walking alone on her Gatcombe Park estate and “because of the injuries she sustained, she appears unable to recall exactly what happened.” While she was alone at the time of her injury, her husband was somewhere on the estate, as were her two kids, Zara and Peter. Tim was the one who traveled with Anne to the hospital. Everyone’s assuming that the horses did something to her because they were nearby at the time of the accident, but those f–kers aren’t admitting sh-t. They called for a solicitor! Meanwhile, Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl had more about Anne’s hospitalization:

The Princess Royal is in hospital after sustaining a head injury from a horse at her Gloucestershire estate yesterday. Buckingham Palace described Princess Anne’s condition as stable, but she is not expected to be discharged until later this week.

The 73-year-old royal has been busy standing in for her brother King Charles during his cancer battle, but now she will be forced to cancel forthcoming engagements including a trip to Canada later this week on the advice of her medical team.

The princess was walking in the grounds of Gatcombe Park, where she and her grandchildren regularly ride, when she was injured by a horse, which caused ‘“minor” wounds to her head and a concussion, according to the Palace. Anne’s husband Sir Tim Laurence and her children Peter and Zara were at the family home at the time of the accident.

An air ambulance was called to the scene and treated the princess, who was later taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol (accompanied by her husband, but not by air ambulance), where she is now under observation. The palace said the princess is expected to stay at Southmead Hospital until she is able to go home.

The Princess was expected to be at tomorrow’s Japan State Visit, but has had to postpone all forthcoming engagements. “Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” a palace spokesperson said.

The aide added that the princess was “recovering well” and in a “comfortable condition.”

[From Vanity Fair]

She’s going to spend several days and nights in the hospital, which tells you more about the severity of the head injury and concussion than whatever the palace is trying to say. Yes, it’s likely that they’re being extra-cautious because she’s a princess AND a woman in her 70s, but it says a lot that she’ll probably spend four days or so in the hospital and that no one knows exactly what happened to her. And that she can’t remember what happened to her.

As for her schedule, the Mail made a list of all of the stuff she was supposed to do this week, all of which has now been canceled. Beyond Anne’s appearances during the Japanese state visit, she was supposed to fly to Canada on Friday. She was supposed to be in Edinburgh today, Tuesday, for an agriculture conference, and throughout the week, she was supposed to go back and forth to the conference in between events in England. On Wednesday, she was supposed to open up “Warsash Sailing Club’s renovated clubhouse in Hampshire as the president of the Royal Yachting Association.” On the same day, she was also supposed to do an appearance at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club. On Thursday and Friday, she had several events planned too. All of that stuff has to be canceled, because I guess no one thought to ask one of the other working royals to cover for her? The slimmed-down monarchy is not giving much bang for the buck.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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65 Responses to “Princess Anne won’t be discharged from the hospital ‘until later this week’”

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  1. equality says:

    If no other RF member is sent to cover these things then they are proving that they really aren’t needed for these events.

    • Jks says:

      Exactly 💯. They really aren’t needed.

      • Brassy Rebel says:

        It’s possible to open yacht clubs without any royals present. Abolish the monarchy.

      • Chanteloup says:

        ↑ ↑ THIS with all the exclamation marks that exist in the world.
        Get well, Anne, and then pls return all the stolen land, money and jewels and fck right off to private life.
        Abolish the monarchy.

  2. sevenblue says:

    Looking at her engagement schedule, you would think this woman is the heir. Shame on Will, his laziness has no bound. I am sure his team worked on that Taylor meeting for weeks while a 73 year old woman is traveling abroad for the firm.

    I hope she gets her health back soon. They downplayed it yesterday, which I understand, but it really sounds serious.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      No matter how one feels about Anne, it is not possible to call The Princess Royal a slacker. She has worked non-stop all her adult life.

      • L4Frimaire says:

        I guess she makes a lot of appearances but a lot of it is busywork. It’s nice to open a yacht club or two but that’s something a local councilor should be doing. Of course agriculture is important, especially post Brexit, but then it’s not reported on and don’t know what issues the conference will address. I guess I don’t understand what they’re supposed to be doing in these roles in terms of context outside of the ceremonial stuff.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Anne is doing 10 times what Kate & William do even if it is “busy work”. Many people, especially people in rural areas, want to see a Royal at their local fete, county fair, school dedication and/or new park opening so invitations are extended. It makes no sense to me but that seems to be the way it works.

        Anne makes “appearances” based on requests from organizations, local councils and national governments.

        Anne would not be going to Canada without an invitation from the Canadian government and approval of 10 Downing Street.

      • Lorelei says:

        @L4Frimaire, I totally get what you’re saying because obviously none of what any of them do is real work.

        But I would argue that while the nonsense that W&K go on about (particularly Kate’s utterly useless Aarly Years) is definitely pure “busywork” because it serves absolutely no purpose except to make it look like they’re doing something, and tries to make the taxpayers think they’re getting their money’s worth (lol), at least the type of work that Anne does has *some* intrinsic value, for all of the reasons @BayTampaBay stated.

        For every appearance that Anne makes, she leaves behind at least a few peasants who were excited to meet a royal, and it likely makes them feel connected to and supportive of the BRF, which the RF desperately needs.

        W&K bring NOTHING to the table except talk about how keen they are about their big ideas. At least Anne makes some incremental progress, if she turns even one person into a royalist every time she goes into a community where people are excited to see her.

      • Sarah says:

        Non-stop=20 or 30 minutes a couple times a week that sometimes involves a plane, train, being driven around, or a helicopter. Oh the phone calls that count as work. She’s better than William yes, but my 16 year old nephew works 10 times harder than William. Most of those people would be much better off if that money went to the local community because having a royal show up does nothing for organizations or charities. Hopefully Princess Anne gets better, but her retirement would be good for the country if I wasn’t sure William and Kate would just spend it and do no more work than they do when healthy. Her husband probably wouldn’t like her retiring so hopefully she’s back up in a few weeks.

  3. Waitwhat says:

    Wow, Anne truly is one of the -if not THE- most hardworking member of the royal family. Too bad the heir has no free time between all of his commitments doing (citation needed) or he could step in to help.

  4. Moondust says:

    Compare that with William’s diary….

  5. Laura-Lee MacDonald says:

    Anne is my problematic fave in the BRF, mostly because her fashions in the 70’s factor into my sewing goals board and of course because she sassed away a potential kidnapper. A concussion at her age is a big deal, though. She’s the only one left in the UK who actually works, and now she’s out, too?!?! Damn. Hoping the republic is nigh.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      No matter what Anne does or says, she has always been my favorite British Royal too.

      “mostly because her fashions in the 70’s factor into my sewing goals board”

      Her fashion in the 70’s (see picture of her in a yellow coat and blue hat in the slide show) was killer. She also knows how to correctly wear vintage.

      https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/g12026505/princess-anne-photos/

      • Blithe says:

        Oooh! Thanks for the link! I am so here for the clothes.

      • Chaine says:

        Amazing slideshow. Zara looks quite like Anne as a young woman, never realized it before. And Anne’s sixties and seventies style was quite lovely. It seems she got bogged down in the eighties and has never tried to update.

      • maggie says:

        Those Harper’s Bazaar photos are cool. Just realised how much Zara resembles her mother in those photos from the 1970s.

  6. Jks says:

    The universe is sending a very clear message here. Camilla and Will are up next.

  7. caitlinsmom says:

    The hardest working member of the monarchy really is the 72 year old “spare”. Well, well.

    In all seriousness, at her age, a serious fall can be the start of the end, especially if she has other health problems as well. Hoping she has a speedy recovery.

  8. Wagiman says:

    My partner fell off a push bike, wearing a helmet, slow speed, not his fault unposted road work in the dark. and has a major head injury which affects every part of our life and had done for 25 years. No one believed it. She’s rich and royal. She’ll get everything. My poor arse partner had nothing so his head injury wasn’t recognised at all. Even now. When it’s bloomin obvious. We have no help. I really don’t give a f. Meanwhile were still paying for those free loaders. I hate them quite a lot. And I don’t gaf

    • BeanieBean says:

      Understandable. I am so sorry for your situation.

      • Wagiman says:

        Thanks Beanie.. I get really cross at their bs. We both have worse health problems than egg and bones and yet apparently bones is so much better than us! And egg is best ever simply because his staff got tickets to a concert. I’m literally puking at their crap

  9. Carol Mengel says:

    Yep, let’s dare not ask Kate to bother herself and do one of Anne’s engagements. Kate will just hide away until Wimbledon and when she makes her next appearance be once again hailed as St. Kate, the only person who has ever battled cancer.

    • Flower says:

      Agreed – ordinarily I ‘d say the sick should be resting/ scaling back.

      But the recent ToTC appearance was blatantly so she can go to Wimbo.

      They’re all shameless.

  10. Nikki (Toronto) says:

    Back in 2020, when H&M left/were forced out, the OG Squadies were screaming into the wind: “ I curse you […]. Until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble.” Celie’s voice.

    One-by-one they will fall and not one of them will go out peacefully. Thoughts and prayers.

    • Jks says:

      I didn’t know about Celie’s curse but yeah, that’s exactly how I feel about the royal family’s treatment of Harry and Meghan every day. And we are watching it happen right now!!!

  11. These people are just ridiculous with their “privacy “. No one knows what happened and she can’t remember.

  12. Smices says:

    When it rains, it pours.

  13. ML says:

    Being in a hospital for days due to a concussion is not good. Wishing her a decent recovery.

  14. Over it says:

    Just so you all know , the heir is very busy . He has to shake it off and do the electrical shock treatment dance and say yeah yeah watch me Harry . Take this left hip seizure and this right hip bug bite . You just don’t understand how hard it is to be wank the eggplant in waiting.
    Wishing Anne much better.

  15. EasternViolet says:

    Subtext: She may have had a stroke. That’s how I am reading it.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      I had an aunt who had a stroke while in her garage unloading her SUV. She collapsed, her head hit the concrete and she was concussed. The head injury was actually more life-threatening than the stroke.

    • Couch Potato says:

      Me too!

    • Bklne says:

      Re. A stroke: Could be, but the horse theory is also plausible. When my sister was in her teens, she was standing in the wrong spot when a horse got spooked and she got kicked on the side of her head. She made a full recovery, but her short term memory was messed up for the first couple of months. She was also very lucky – had the blow landed an inch in the other direction, it could have killed her. She also had youth on her side during recovery. If Anne got kicked, there could indeed be serious problems with her memory and at her age it could be the beginning of the end.

      • Jenny says:

        No reason it could be both—had a stroke while checking one of the horses, fell which spooked the horse and caused an impact. Goodness knows mine has spooked a few times when I’ve tripped while leading her. Without her remembering anything, it may never be known exactly what happened.

    • Flower says:

      Exactly – this was far more serious hence why no visitors are allowed.

      This was not your average 72 year old slip and trip.

    • BlueNailsBetty says:

      Re: a stroke…I thought the same thing. Yet another lie from the BRF to cover for a normal medical issue. They would think a stroke and (temporary) impairment is a sign of weakness and God forbid they show that to the world.

      Whatever happened to Anne, I hope she fully recovers.

  16. Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

    The ancestors have certainly been busy!

  17. Theoriginalrose says:

    Judging by the cagey information, I would say it sounds as if she was found unconscious.

    I remember in Spare Harry joking about how certain members of the family were very competitive about thier number of ‘events’ but that they also class things such as making a phone call ‘an event’

  18. Steph says:

    She had events scheduled for the same day she was scheduled to fly all the way to Canada? That’s a lot.

    The wording surrounding P&Z is so strange. It’s like they are to make it seem as if they are visiting instead living there.

  19. Brassy Rebel says:

    It sounds like they don’t even know if any horses were involved. They just decided to blame the horses to cover for the possibility that she fell and hit her head. Or something. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

  20. Lady Digby says:

    This does sound serious and I wish her a full recovery. Her busy schedule does put FK to shame. Richard Kay’sc2 page article on FK was an embarrassment of riches as he detailed Will'”work load” over a few days with equally few engagements eg TTC , then flouncing about in capes for some Master Garter ceremony then watching England team play football?! If this guy was anymore light weight then he’d float away!! KC and Anne are the big hitters of that RF and it leaves FK even more exposed as a loafer if he does his usual when the kids go on Summer holiday from private school on 6 July until September and just downs “tools”! What a joke!

  21. Wagiman says:

    I hope she wasn’t kicked in the head.. A friend’s grandchild was and he died.. I would put it this way. Injuries sustained from a large animal are bad. Injuries of any description when you’re 73 aren’t great. Falls of horses or bikes at any age are life changing. Ask me how!

  22. Libra says:

    She was alone on her estate when this happened? She is never alone. Security people and cameras, stable help, yard groomers etc. Air ambulance was ca?led by who? There is so much more here.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      The mention of Air Ambulance was a huge tip off. Anne has a strong constitution and a will of granite. She is the type of person that would rebuff any fuss – the sort of person who would take her regular motorcade to the hospital for a checkup instead of an ambulance.

      If Air Ambulance was called, it wasn’t because of her rank – it was because she was so seriously injured she couldn’t even protest being airlifted.

  23. Wls198 says:

    Animals can sense or feel these things, she was having a tough time controlling her horse at trooping the colors maybe something was starting then. When I had my big stroke I had several warnings that were dismissed as being dehydrated and extra tired because of the position I held. Advised to rest. After having the stroke, the MRI said I had two mini strokes before the big one.

  24. Rnot says:

    It’s serious because you just know she hates being in the hospital. Anne is all about getting on with things, like her dad. If she and everyone around her are willing to keep her in for multiple nights then there’s something bigger than a mild concussion.

  25. ravensdaughter says:

    Ok, as someone who used to ride extensively-English style on a Western horse, I was young and dumb when I started-let me just say-scary!

    When I first started riding my own fractious horse-I was about twelve years old-he threw me once and I sailed through the air and landed on my back. Good God, the trajectory must have been about twelve feet. My neck was frozen for three days and that was the beginning of a lifetime of back problems.

    See also the tragedy of Christopher Reeve. You can be a great rider and your horse can still freak out and you have no time to react.

    Also, head injuries in the elderly-sorry Anne, but you qualify-are not to be taken lightly.

    I sincerely wish the best for Anne-if there is a Best Chris, there is also a Best Royal, and she is it.

  26. Bettina says:

    How scary. I would hate not knowing what happened to me. I hope she makes a full recovery.

    What a series of health problems for the BRF… Fergie, Charles, Kate, now Anne…
    My first thought was about astrology, how I’d love to see a chart, to see if something explains all that.
    But then, my second thought was Covid. Covid, with all the inflammation, makes you more likely to get cancer, and Covid, with the brain damage, makes you more likely to fall off your horse.
    Incidentally, astrology kinda predicted Covid. Blogs kept talking about the big bad “Saturn-Pluto conjunction” of 2020 as early as five years before, saying it would bring global crisis. And that turned out to be true.
    I’m a believer.

    And now, I wonder if there’s many sudden, grouped health problems like that popping up in many other families too…

    • sevenblue says:

      Keep in mind the BRF is like 95% old people now. Cancer, stroke, etc are more common in old age.

      • Where'sMyTiara says:

        And the risk of stroke, cancer, etc, is now exponentially higher for them given that most of them have all had Covid at least once. Studies have proven risk for stroke, heart failure, and certain cancers jumps 33% after one Covid infection. And that percentage increases the more times you catch Covid.

        Something I think about when I look at Charles, who we know to have had Covid 2x, and possibly 3 if he wasn’t inventing it that other time, to get Harry to call him and give him his location back when they had retreated to Canada.

  27. aquarius64 says:

    Frankly I don’t believe anything the palace says nowadays. This may be cover for something more severe. I’m beginning to think the House of Windsor is cursed.

    • Unblinkered says:

      I hope not cursed, but fully agree with you on the rest.
      Imagine how all this is playing to the European royal families, they’ll be incredulous.

  28. Sarah says:

    She’s allowed visitors now so maybe the long stay is precautionary. She’s older but I feel like there is a chance we’ll see her before Kate. Hopefully there won’t be any lasting memory or health problems.

  29. Anonymous says:

    “Everyone’s assuming that the horses did something to her because they were nearby at the time of the accident, but those f–kers aren’t admitting shit”

    I thought you meant the horses won’t confess and laughed way too hard.

    Unless you did mean that, in which case, well done!