Princess Anne is receiving hospital treatment for a head injury, according to Buckingham Palace.
The king’s sister, 73, “sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident” at her home in Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, England, the palace said.
“Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery,” the statement added.
The spokesperson said King Charles, had been “closely informed” about the incident.
A source close to the family told Business Insider that Anne’s injuries may have been caused by a horse, as her injuries were consistent with the impact caused by a horse’s legs or head.
Anne’s royal engagements for the week will be postponed, according to a follow-up statement by the palace. A source said the princess’s scheduled trip to Canada at the end of the week will be rescheduled.
The princess has consistently been viewed as the “most hard-working” member of the royal family and King Charles’ “secret weapon.” According to an analysis by The Guardian, she carried out more than 11,000 royal engagements from 2002 to 2022, which was more than any other royal at the time.
She continued her winning streak in 2023, carrying out 457 engagements, the most of any royal that year, according to The Telegraph.
Anne’s work ethic has been beneficial to the monarchy after the loss of some of its key players. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back in 2020, and earlier this year, Kate Middleton and King Charles temporarily stepped back as they received respective treatments for cancer.
Their absences exposed cracks in the king’s slimmed-down monarchy.
In an interview with CBC News in 2023, Anne said a slimmed-down monarchy “doesn’t sound like a good idea” considering there are fewer royals around to carry out engagements.
