Princess Anne's hidden health battle uncovered after near-fatal accident

Princess Anne’s serious horse accident last year was far graver than the public realised, according to a source close to the royal.

The Princess Royal was rushed to hospital last June after a freak incident at her Gatcombe Park estate left her concussed and with head injuries. 

She was hospitalised for five nights and spent weeks recovering at home, eventually resuming her royal duties.

At the time, the palace described it as a minor incident. But now, a friend of Anne’s has told The Times that the full extent of her ordeal was kept under wraps. “Her accident was so much worse than anyone let on and it took quite a while for her to feel herself again,” the source revealed.

Anne herself has since admitted she “can’t remember a single thing” about the incident and reflected candidly on her health scare: “You are sharply reminded that every day is a bonus really… you never quite know.”

Emergency services, including an air ambulance, rushed to her Gloucestershire estate after the princess was reportedly struck by a horse while out walking to check on her chickens.

Despite the seriousness of the accident, Anne made a full recovery and was back in the saddle at Trooping the Colour this June, a testament to her resilience and famously hard-working nature.

Her comments since suggest she’s adopted a renewed appreciation for life: “You’re jolly lucky… if you can continue to be more or less compos mentis, and last summer I was very close to not being.”

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