Princess Anne Breaks Silence on Last Summer’s Accident, Admits She Has No Memory of It
The Princess Royal suffered a concussion and spent five days in the hospital after an incident at her Gatcombe Park estate in June 2024
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Princess Anne, Princess Royal attends the first day of the 142nd IOC Session, three days ahead of the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on July 23, 2024During her two-day tour of South Africa, Princess Anne opened up about the frightening incident last summer that left her with a concussion.
The Princess Royal, 74, said that she had no memory of the accident that left her hospitalized for five days, believed to be caused by an impact with a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate.
The accident taught her that “every day is a bonus, really,” according to the BBC.
After the royal was injured last June, her medical team described her injuries as being consistent with an impact from a horse’s head or legs.
Related: Princess Anne Hospitalized with Concussion Following an 'Incident' at Her Country Home
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The Princess Royal arrives for a visit to the South African Riding School for Disabled Association (SARDA) while on her two-day to trip to South Africa on Jan. 21, 2025“I know where I thought I was going, and that was to go to the chickens, no, nothing to do with horses,” Princess Anne said about the incident.
Seeing the chickens was “my regular visit,” she added. “I don’t have any idea what I was doing in the field, because I never normally went that way.”
“It just reminds you, shows you — you never quite know, something [happens] and you might not recover,” she continued.
“You’re jolly lucky … if you can continue to be more or less compos mentis [of sound mind], and last summer I was very close to not being,” Princess Anne added. “Take each day as it comes, they say.”
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The Princess Royal is presented with flowers during a visit to the South African Riding School for Disabled Association (SARDA) while on her two-day to trip to South Africa on Jan. 21, 2025When asked if she planned to retire anytime soon, the longtime hardest working member of the royal family said that retirement “isn’t really an option.”
“I don’t think there’s a retirement program on this particular life,” the Princess Royal added.
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The Princess Royal views the Princess Anne rose with Anja Taschner (right) daughter of Ludwig Taschner of Ludwig's Roses, during a visit to the British High Commission Residence garden in Pretoria, while on her two-day to trip to South Africa on Jan. 21, 2025Princess Anne’s visit to South Africa on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22 was without her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, who stayed behind after suffering an injury of his own on their Gatcombe Park estate, believed to be a torn ligament, according to Hello!.
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Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence leave after attending a thanksgiving service for the life of King Constantine of the Hellenes, at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on Feb. 27, 2024When asked if she’d suffered any long-term damage from the incident seven months ago, Princess Anne joked, “Apparently not — at least I don’t think so. As far as I know, nobody else thinks so — they haven’t been honest enough to tell me yet.”
“So far, so good,” she added.
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