Princess Anne Follows in Kate Middleton's Footsteps With Emotional Hospital Visit

Kate Middleton made a poignant trip back to the hospital where she was treated for cancer last month, in a similar move, Princess Anne returned to thank the medical staff who helped her during a terrifying 2024 accident on Thursday, Feb. 6.

The Princess Royal, 74, paid a visit to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, England, touring the facility and giving a speech about her time at the hospital last summer. "Sadly, I don't have huge memories of being in here," Princess Anne said while speaking to staff (via People), adding, "I just know I was really well looked after."

Anne, who has been a lifelong equestrian, experienced a mysterious incident in June 2024 while heading out to feed chickens on her Gatcombe Park estate. What happened next, the princess doesn't recall, but she wound up in the hospital for five days with "minor injuries and concussion," per Buckingham Palace.

At the time, doctors "described her injuries as being consistent with the type of impact from a horse's legs or head," per the BBC.

During a recent trip to South Africa, she told journalists that she had no memory of the incident.

"It just reminds you, shows you—you never quite know, something [happens] and you might not recover," the Princess Royal said in South Africa, adding, "You are sharply reminded that every day is a bonus really."

During Thursday's trip to Southmead Hospital, Princess Anne joked, "Whatever you did, it seemed to work." As for her "straightforward" recovery, the Princess Royal said, "I'm really grateful."

The Princess of Wales also took time to thank the doctors and nurses who treated her during a January visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. Kate, who announced she'd been diagnosed with cancer in March 2024, also met with a number of patients at the hospital.

"I wanted to come and show my support for the amazing work that’s going on here and for those who are going through treatment and having such a hard time," she said.