The past few days have been challenging for Princess Anne after being hospitalized. However, the resilient royal has since been discharged and is recovering comfortably at her serene country home.
Princess Anne has left the hospital after a brief stay where she received treatment following an accident at her home a few days ago. The Princess Royal was taken to the hospital after sustaining a minor head injury and concussion, reportedly caused by a horse at her Gloucestershire estate.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, and daughter Zara Tindall visited her separately at the hospital.
In a short statement, Timothy expressed his gratitude to the hospital staff. “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,” he said.
According to reports, Princess Anne quietly left Southmead Hospital early Friday morning, slipping away without being seen. The reports also confirm that she has returned to her peaceful country home at Gatcombe Park near Minchinhampton.
Inside Princess Anne's home, Gatcombe Park https://t.co/kNFDFqQjqY pic.twitter.com/DARAGyRHCW
— Tatler (@Tatlermagazine) May 17, 2020
Despite the typical discretion surrounding royal hospital visits, footage and photos of her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, visiting her emerged, sparking public interest. On June 25, the devoted husband was captured visiting Anne, who has been recuperating at Southmead since June 23.
In a video shared by ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship, Timothy was seen arriving at the hospital in a sleek black Land Rover. He exited the vehicle, retrieved his black blazer from the backseat, and pulled out a sizable blue bag before shutting the car door. With a security escort nearby, Timothy walked through the hospital entrance.
NEW: Princess Anne’s husband Sir Timothy Laurence has ben filmed at the main entrance of her hospital.
He was visiting at lunchtime today carrying a cool bag for his wife.
The King’s sister has been in hospital since her concussion – thought to be from a horse kick or head – on… pic.twitter.com/fy7myCVF1a— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) June 25, 2024
Chris captioned the post, “NEW: Princess Anne’s husband Sir Timothy Laurence has been filmed at the main entrance of her hospital.” He continued, “He was visiting at lunchtime today, carrying a cool bag for his wife. The King’s sister has been in the hospital since her concussion—thought to be caused by a horse kick or head—on Sunday evening.”
The emergence of these images and videos prompted questions and curiosity from the public, as they caught a rare glimpse of the royal couple navigating this challenging time.
Pictures shared online also showed Timothy exiting the hospital after his visit. While his gesture of checking on his wife is sweet, some people couldn’t help but note the situation as peculiar. “What? A real visit? That’s not royal behavior,” commented someone on X.
Another person who believed there may be more to the story asserted, “Secrecy as always. One never knows what really goes on with them.” However, amid the speculation, came a few messages of support for the couple and well wishes for Princess Anne.
“Anne’s rock, Tim’s bringing her lunch,” praised a fan who believed the situation involved nothing more than Timothy enjoying a meal with his wife. Another supporter chimed in with, “oh no! Praying she gets well soon!”
Timothy’s visit to see Princess Anne during her recovery has left many puzzled, as it broke from the usual royal protocol. Typically, royal family members do not visit each other in the hospital unless it’s an exceptional situation.
In 2019, royal commentator Victoria Arbiter shared an insightful message on X, explaining the reasons behind this practice. Back then, Victoria’s comments were prompted by the harsh criticism directed at the late Queen Elizabeth II for not visiting her late husband, Prince Philip, while he was hospitalized.
Victoria shed light on the reasoning behind such decisions. She explained that a visit from the Queen would involve significant security measures that could be highly disruptive.
Victoria also mentioned that the royal family is very conscious of the other patients receiving treatment and does not want to cause them or their families any undue stress. She noted that the royals are very private about medical issues and aim to avoid further speculation.
Victoria also highlighted Prince Philip’s preference for a fuss-free environment and his desire for the Queen to carry on as normal. She acknowledged that while the royals have visited each other in the hospital on other occasions, it is not the norm, and they were always mindful of the impact on the general public.
She concluded by emphasizing the royal family’s thoughtfulness, suggesting their actions show an awareness and lack of selfishness. Victoria stated that every royal decision is made sensibly and without malice, but as a family whose every move is analyzed and criticized.
Supporting Victoria’s statements, the Daily Mail published an article in January analyzing King Charles III’s visit to see Princess Catherine while she was still in the hospital recovering from abdominal surgery.
The article clarified that royals usually do not visit each other in the hospital, except on very rare occasions. They reiterated that senior members of the royal family prefer not to draw attention to themselves or their loved ones, describing life in the monarchy as sometimes lonely.
Given this context, Timothy’s visit to Princess Anne in the hospital was outside the norm and led to public concern. According to a news outlet, the avid equestrian suffered memory loss after sustaining head injuries, believed to have been caused by one of her horses.
The accident occurred while she was walking at Gatcombe Park, her Gloucestershire estate, on Sunday evening, June 23. Although the exact cause of her concussion was not confirmed, her medical team revealed that her head wounds matched the potential impact from a horse’s legs or head.
Princess Anne was conscious on Monday, June 24, but remained in the hospital overnight. The news outlet also reported that her memory loss pertains only to the incident and is thought to be temporary.
When the incident occurred, they called an air ambulance. However, Princess Anne was treated on the scene before being transported to Southmead Hospital, the largest medical facility in the southwest, equipped with a specialist neuroscience unit.
