The Princess Royal will not attend the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony, despite currently being in the French capital.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that Princess Anne, 73, will instead watch the ceremony from Team GB House alongside representatives from the British Olympic Association (BOA).
HELLO! understands that this is part of Anne's phased return to royal duties and she will have a full schedule of visits supporting British athletes over the next few weeks of competition.
It comes just weeks after the Princess was hospitalised with concussion and a minor head injury following a horse-related incident at her Gloucestershire home, Gatcombe Park, on 23 June. She spent five nights being treated at Southmead Hospital in Bristol before being discharged.
On 12 July, she carried out her first public engagement since the accident, when she presented awards at an equine competition at Hartpury University and Hartpury College in Gloucestershire.
In her first overseas trip amid her recovery, Anne flew to Paris earlier this week to attend the 142nd International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session. The Princess has been a member since 1988 and she is also president of the BOA.
The Princess Royal was the first member of the British royal family to take part in the Olympics, competing in a three-day equestrian event on the late Queen's horse, Goodwill, at the 1976 Montreal Games.
Supporting Team GB
She has long been a supporter of the Olympics and British athletes, presenting a silver medal to her own daughter, Zara Tindall, in team eventing at the London 2012 Games.
On Wednesday, Anne met with Team GB athletes at the British Embassy, including rower Helen Glover and diver Tom Daley, who have been chosen as joint flag-bearers for the opening ceremony.
© GettyThe Princess delivered a short speech at the event, telling the medal hopefuls: "I hope you will feel that this is the environment which encourages you to perform at your best, although you won't know that until it happens, but if it's a personal best, you can be imminently proud of what you've achieved because you will know you couldn't have done any better."
"But it is the process of getting here and some of you are getting here again and again and again and again," Anne quipped, which prompted laughter.
© GettyShe added: "That is extraordinary because it requires such inspiration and innovation to maintain those levels of excellence for an Olympic Games that says something enormous about your achievements and your skills.
"Thank you for your commitment and your support and I just wish you every bit of success and that it goes as well as you hope in every way."
The Princess also donned the team's blue track top as she met the athletics team at Team GB's pre-Games training base in Saint-Germain-En-Laye. Anne was pictured speaking with middle-distance runner Keely Hodgkinson, sprinter Imani-Lara Lansiquot, 400-metre hurdler Lina Nielsen and her twin sister and 400-metre sprinter Laviai Nielsen.
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