Princess Anne Says She "Can't Remember a Single Thing" About Her Horse-Related Accident

The royal made her first public appearance since her hospitalization last month.

Princess Anne
(Image credit: Getty)

For the first time since the horse-related accident that left her hospitalized, Princess Anne is speaking out about her health and ability to remember the incidents of that day.

On Friday, July 12, the Princess Royal returned to her royal duties, making her first official public appearance during a visit to the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) National Championships at Hartpury University and Hartpury College.

"I can't remember a single thing about it," Anne said of her recent horse-related accident, as reported by the Daily Mail.

On June 23, Princess Anne suffered what Buckingham Palace described as "minor injuries and a concussion" after she was involved in an "incident at the 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 palace said in a written statement. "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."

Princess Anne

Princess Anne during Trooping the Colour.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

On June 25, it was first reported that Princess Anne had suffered temporary memory loss as a result of the incident, according to The Telegraph.

On the same day, her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, spoke out about his wife's medical condition and at-the-time current hospital stay.

"She is recovering well, thank you. 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," he said at the time. "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."

Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, was reportedly “shaken to the core" by her mother's accident and memory loss.

“This is exactly what Zara’s been worried about happening for years now, but her mom hasn’t had a chance to slow down with everyone else falling apart,” a source told OK at the time, referring to both King Charles and Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis.

Princess Anne

Princess Anne

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“It’s really shaken Zara to the core, and she’s desperately hoping this memory is temporary," the insider continued. "This has been a huge wake-up call for everyone in the family, and they’re rightfully distressed.”

King Charles' sister was later released from the hospital on June 28 after five days, later receiving "rehabilitation support at her Gatcombe Park home in Gloucestershire," People reported at the time.

“I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the team at Southmead Hospital for their care, expertise and kindness during my wife’s short stay," Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence said in a brief statement released after his wife left the hospital.

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.