Princess Anne, aged 73, recently had a horse-related accident that left her with a minor head injury. She had to stay in the hospital for five nights due to a concussion. The Princess Royal expressed her sadness about missing a ceremony in Canada to honor war heroes because of her injury.
Princess Anne is known as the “hardest working royal” because she attends more public events than any other royal family member. Last week, she had to cancel nine events, including her trip to Canada. She was supposed to attend a special ceremony marking 100 years of the Newfoundland National War Memorial. The ceremony also included the return of an unknown soldier’s remains from World War I. Instead, the Governor General read a message from Anne, where she shared her deep regret and sent her best wishes to those at the event.
It reads: “I am deeply sorry that I cannot be with you today to honor the brave efforts and sacrifices of the Newfoundland Regiment who fought on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. I cherish the memories of joining you in 2016 for the 99th commemoration of the Battle of Beaumont Hamel, and I am truly saddened that I cannot be with you again. I send you my warmest best wishes on this special day of remembrance.”
Anne, who loves horses, competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Her medical team said her head injury likely came from the horse’s head or legs, but the exact details are unknown due to her concussion. An air ambulance was called, but she traveled by road to the hospital after being treated on the scene. While Anne was in the hospital, her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and her daughter, Zara Tindall, visited her. Some experts say that Anne might need to stay away from her royal duties for several weeks. Former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole mentioned that Anne chose not to be photographed when she left the hospital with her husband. He also said that Anne will not return to her royal duties for some time.