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Sir Tim visiting Princess Anne in hospital© Getty

Sir Timothy Laurence says Princess Anne is 'recovering slowly' after third night in hospital

The Princess Royal is being treated for concussion and minor injuries after a horse-related accident

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
June 26, 2024
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Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence has shared that the Princess Royal is "recovering slowly" as he left hospital after visiting his wife following her third night as a patient.

 Princess Anne, 73, was hospitalised on Sunday after she suffered concussion and minor head injuries following a horse-related incident on her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire on Sunday.

When asked by the waiting media when the Princess would be discharged, Sir Tim told waiting media as he emerged from Southmead Hospital in Bristol: "She'll be out when she's ready."

Sir Tim said on Tuesday that Anne was "doing fine, slow but sure". He was seen carrying a cool bag as he revealed he had taken her a "few little treats from home".

WATCH: Sir Tim Laurence visits Princess Anne in hospital

The Princess Royal's daughter and fellow equestrian, Zara Tindall, was also pictured arriving to visit her mother.

Anne's concussion has meant precise details of the incident are not clear, but her medical team said her head injuries were consistent with a potential impact from a horse's head or legs.

Sir Tim brought a cool bag with treats from home for his wife© Getty
Sir Tim brought a cool bag with treats from home for his wife

Sir Tim and Anne's children, Zara and Peter Phillips, were on the estate when the incident occurred.

Zara Tindall walking in a denim outfit© PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
Zara visited Anne in hospital

The Princess Royal is an accomplished horsewoman who was the first British royal to compete at the Olympics, participating in the 1976 Games in Montreal.

Over the years, she has suffered injuries and falls while competing. As a 14-year-old, she cracked a bone in the little finger of her right hand after she had caught it in the rein of her pony while riding near her school, Benenden in Kent.

Princess Anne riding horse before accident in 1976© Getty
Princess Anne riding her horse before an accident in 1976

Anne was also knocked unconscious when a horse fell on her at the Portman Horse Trials in Dorset, suffering bruises, concussion and a hairline fracture in her vertebrae, in 1976. Her injuries were fortunately not serious enough to rule her out of competing in the Olympics that same year.

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