Princess Anne's Memory Loss Does Not Seem to Be Long-Term Following Concussion: Royal Expert

Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles III, is suffering from memory loss following an accident at her country home over the weekend that left her hospitalized with a concussion. However, according to royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, there is "no suggestion that this is long-term memory loss."

"All we understand is that she cannot remember the incident. Obviously she has been asked about what happened and she simply can't remember, which suggests that she probably blacked out at the time of the event," Nicholl told ET, "but there is no suggestion that this memory loss is anything more than immediately around what happened."

As for the severity of the 73-year-old Princess Royal's injury, Nicholl noted that "any concussion can be very serious."

"She has been in [the hospital] since Sunday night. She is still under surveillance and I think that suggests that they're not going to take any chances," Nicholl said. "They want to make sure that she is absolutely stable and well enough to go home and they did give guidance -- the palace gave us guidance that she would be likely to spend most of this week in hospital, so I think the hope is that she will be discharged before the weekend."

This is not the first horse-related injury for the longtime equestrian, who suffered a fall while competing in the 1976 Olympics. "It's worth pointing out that she's had some pretty hairy experiences," Nicholl said. "She's been thrown from her horse. She's taken a few knocks. She's been knocked unconscious off her horse before."

Anne's accident unfortunately comes amid other headline-making health troubles in the royal family: King Charles and Kate Middleton's cancer diagnoses.

"I think we have to hope that this is nothing too serious for Princess Anne," Nicholl said. "We understand that she will be discharged later on this week and hopefully will be back on a horse again in the not too distant future, but this has felt like a very difficult time for the royal family and I think in all of this it highlights that, yes, they are the royal family -- the king, the queen, the head of state -- but also they are just normal people. The cancer has been a great leveler. And as every family knows, there will be accidents. It does just feel that a lot has come all in one go."

On Monday, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming the 73-year-old royal suffered injuries at her Gatcombe Park estate.

"Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery. The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to The Princess for a speedy recovery," read the statement in part.

It was reported that horses were close by when the incident occurred, and Anne's injuries are consistent with impact to the head from a horse's leg or hoof. "What we understand from Princess Anne's medical team is that she sustained a head injury," Nicholl said. "This happened on Sunday night while she was at home on her estate. She was either headbutted it seems or kicked by a horse. She was walking within the protective parameter of her park and something obviously happened."

A source shared with ET that Anne's husband, Sir Tim Laurence, gave an update on his wife's condition on Tuesday after a well-wisher asked about her recovery. Tim was also spotted entering the hospital to visit his wife the same day.

"'She is recovering well, thank you," Tim told the well-wisher. ''We are both profoundly grateful to the medical team and hospital support staff for their expert care -- and to the emergency services who were all so wonderful at the scene. We are both deeply touched by all the kind messages we have received from so many people near and far. It means a great deal.'"

As a result of the accident, the princess' engagements for the upcoming week -- which included a trip to Canada -- have been postponed.

Prior to her hospitalization, Anne was seen last week at the Royal Ascot alongside members of the royal family. The Princess Royal was also in attendance during the 2024 Trooping the Colour ceremony on June 15, where she appeared on the balcony with King Charles and other royals -- including Kate Middleton, who made her first public appearance after sharing her cancer diagnosis three months earlier.

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