Britain's Princess Anne hands out ribbons following a demonstration at the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association in Saanichton, B.C, Sunday, May 5, 2024.
Princess Anne's planned trip to Newfoundland this weekend to mark the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the National War Memorial in St. John’s has been cancelled. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – An injury has forced Princess Anne to cancel a trip to Newfoundland this weekend to mark the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the National War Memorial in St. John’s.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace confirmed Monday morning that the trip, slated for June 30 and July 1, had been called off after the princess was injured when she was out walking on Sunday evening. The 73-year-old sister of King Charles sustained minor injuries and a concussion on the Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, England, said a statement from Buckingham Palace on Monday.
Neither the statement nor the spokesperson provided any detail about what happened, but the statement said Anne was expected to make a full 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,” the statement said.
Anne was scheduled to arrive in Canada on June 30, ahead of the centennial ceremony in St. John’s the following day. The July 1 anniversary will be particularly poignant, as the remains of an unidentified First World War soldier from what was then known as the Dominion of Newfoundland, will be entombed on the plateau of the memorial.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said he was saddened to learn that Anne could no longer attend the event.
“On behalf of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I wish her a quick and healthy recovery,” he said in a statement Monday.
Anne is the colonel in chief of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Britain’s Press Association reported the princess was walking within the protected perimeter of the estate when she was injured. Though the exact cause of the injuries was unconfirmed, there were horses in the area. Her medical team said her head injuries were consistent with a potential impact from a horse’s head or legs.
Emergency services were called to the estate and she was treated at the scene before being transferred to Southmead Hospital in Bristol. Her husband, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, accompanied her.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2024.
– With files from The Associated Press
