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

Princess Anne wearing a brown coat standing and talking with doctors at a hospital including a man with an orange coat reading "critical care doctor"

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 6 February 2025

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.

Princess Anne wearing a tan coat and black boots walking through a hospital with staff members next to and behind her — Princess Anne met with some of the doctors and nurses who treated her as she toured the hospital.

Kate Middleton wearing a burgundy plaid coat putting her hand on her chest while talking to a woman wearing a surgical mask pulled under her chin at a hospital with a group of people recording on their phones behind her — Princess Kate paid a similar visit while visiting the hospital where she was treated for cancer.

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.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

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