Princess Anne Breaks Silence Following Hospitalization to Express Her “Deep Regret”

Following the minor head injury Princess Anne suffered on June 23, the hard-working royal has shared a statement saying she is “deeply saddened” that she had to cancel a planned trip to Canada. For years, the Princess Royal has been known for racking up the largest number of official engagements. (In 2023, the Court Circular showed her attending 457 separate events.)

Her royal tour was set to include a visit to the Newfoundland National War Memorial for a July 1 service honoring its centenary, and though the princess could not attend, she sent along her first public message since her injury. In her absence, Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon shared a message expressing Anne’s respect for the Canadian troops who died during the 1916 Somme Offensive, one of the deadliest battles of the First World War.

“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,” the message read. “I have fond memories of joining you in 2016, on the 99th occasion that the people of this Island commemorated the Battle of Beaumont Hamel, and 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.”

Anne, the Colonel-in-Chief of seven Canadian military regiments, is a frequent visitor to the nation and has made multiple tours honoring its contribution to British war efforts in the 20th century. She also competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal as a member of the British equestrian team, and returned to the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary and the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver as a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Last week, Buckingham Palace announced that Anne had sustained a concussion after a head injury from a horse while walking on Gatcombe Park, her estate in Gloucestershire. She was an inpatient at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital for five days until her release last Friday, and is continuing to recover at home.

According to The Telegraph, Anne was suffering temporary memory loss after the injury, which was consistent with impact with a horse’s head or legs. In a written statement, her husband Sir Tim Laurence thanked the hospital staff for the care they provided Anne while she was admitted. “I would like to extend my warmest thanks to all the team at Southmead Hospital for their care, expertise and kindness during my wife’s short stay,” it read.