Princess Anne leaves hospital after suffering head injury

The Princess Royal has been discharged from hospital and is now convalescing at home, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Princess Anne, 73, left Southmead Hospital in Bristol on Friday morning after a five-night stay and has returned to her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire.

She was admitted on Sunday evening after sustaining head injuries and concussion in an incident involving a horse.

The Princess suffered from temporary memory loss in relation to the incident, meaning that the specific details about what happened were not immediately ascertained. There were no apparent witnesses to the accident.

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, 69, said: “I would like to extend my warmest thanks to all the team at Southmead Hospital for their care, expertise and kindness during my wife’s short stay.”

The Princess will remain at Gatcombe for a period of rest and recuperation and will return to public duty when her medical team says that it is safe and comfortable to do so, palace sources said.

They noted that recovery from concussion varied, depending on the individual and the nature of the incident.

Until then, the Princess will be receiving “excellent rehabilitation support” at home.

Sir Tim, who accompanied his wife in the ambulance on the 30-mile journey to hospital on Sunday, was photographed twice visiting her earlier this week.

The Princess’s daughter, Zara Tindall, also paid a visit.

The Princess, a former Olympic equestrian, was walking on her estate when the incident occurred.

An air ambulance was scrambled but after being treated at the scene, the Princess was taken to hospital by road. Local residents also saw a police helicopter circling. No one else is believed to have been involved.

Southmead is the largest hospital in the South West and has a specialist neuroscience unit. It is also home to the only adult major trauma centre in the Severn Major Trauma Network, working alongside six other units in the region.