Princess Anne has discreetly left Bristol’s Southmead Hospital and was whisked away in a car back to Gatcombe Park following injuries and concussion from a horror horse incident.
Former royal correspondent Michael Cole claims Princess Anne’s horse-related incident, which left her hospitalised, might be “more serious” than Buckingham Palace has disclosed.
The Palace stated that the Princess Royal suffered “minor injuries and concussion” at Gatcombe Park.
Buckingham Palace disclosed in a statement on social media: “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.
“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.”
Cole told GB News during a recent interview that staying overnight in hospital suggests the incident was “not a minor matter”.
He noted that Princess Anne, known for her toughness, wouldn’t go to hospital lightly.
“She has stayed overnight and I think that should be an indication that this was no minor matter,” he told GB News hosts Emily Carver and Tom Harwood.
“As we all know, she’s quite a tough cookie and for her to go to a hospital in Bristol means that there was a cause for that.
“Obviously, they have to keep it under observation with a concussion. It could be just a bang on the head and you’re seeing stars, or it may be something more serious.”
The Princess Royal, 73, on Friday discreetly departed Bristol’s Southmead Hospital and embarked on an hour’s drive back to her country home at Gatcombe Park near Minchinhampton.
She stayed for five nights at the hospital, which is the major trauma centre in the region, after she on Sunday sustained injuries and a concussion consistent with potential impact from a horse’s head or legs.
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Her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, 69, expressed his gratitude to the hospital staff who took care of his wife.
“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,” he said.
On Wednesday local time, Sir Tim told reporters outside the hospital the Princess Royal was “recovering slowly” and that she would “be out when she’s ready”.
He was on Tuesday seen carrying a large blue cool bag into the hospital which he said contained “just a few little treats from home” for a two-hour lunch with Anne.
“She’s doing fine, slow but sure,” he said.
Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall was on Tuesday snapped also leaving the hospital after she spent an hour there visiting her injured mum.
The British equestrian, Olympian and socialite appeared relaxed and smiled as she left the region’s major trauma centre rocking a matching denim shirt and shorts ensemble with a crossbody bag and white sneakers.
Zara and her husband Mike Tindall were reportedly at Gatcombe at the time of Anne’s horse attack and Sir Tim accompanied his wife to hospital after she received urgent medical attention at the site.
Anne’s neighbour on Monday revealed to the Daily Express newspaper they saw an air ambulance land followed by a police helicopter circling near Anne’s home on the evening and “thought the worst”.
“I saw an air ambulance landing on her estate and I thought ‘oh my goodness, I hope it’s not Anne,” they told the newspaper.
“And then the police helicopter started circling about ten minutes later and I thought the worst.
“The air ambulance was on the ground for about 40 minutes I think – I’m not sure if it took her to hospital but didn’t look like it did as it flew off the other way. I really hope she’s going to be okay.”
In a statement issued to social media the same evening, Buckingham Palace said: “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,” it said.
“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.”