Princess Anne hospitalized with head injuries after incident with horse

Anne remained under observation at a Bristol hospital “as a precautionary measure”, the palace said in a statement, and her engagements planned for the week would be postponed. This means she will not attend a state banquet with the emperor and empress of Japan. She was also scheduled to visit Canada.

“The King has been kept closely informed and joins the entire Royal Family in sending his greatest love and best wishes to the Princess for a speedy recovery,” the palace said.

Anne, 73, takes after her mother from a fervent horsewoman. She competed in the 1976 Olympics as a member of the British equestrian team. She was on horseback as recently as June 15, for the King’s Birthday Parade, and she was at the Royal Ascot horse races last week.

Anne is also one of the most popular and hardworking members of her family. Of the senior royals, she consistently attends the most events each year. And she has been a particularly key player this year, as Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, stepped back from public duties while undergoing treatment for cancer.

Charles has returned to a lighter summer schedule than usual. Catherine made her first public appearance this year during the King’s Birthday Parade. She said in a statement that she hoped to participate in “a few public engagements over the summer” but added that “I’m not out of the woods yet.”

The palace official said Anne’s husband, Timothy Laurence, and her two children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, were at the estate at the time of the incident on Sunday. Her husband accompanied her to the hospital. It is unclear who called emergency services.

This may be the second high-profile incident involving royal horses this year. In April, five horses from the King’s Mounted Bodyguard were spooked by construction work and galloped riderless through central London. None of the riders were seriously injured. Two of the horses are still receiving veterinary care.