The Princess Royal confirmed she was treated in the intensive care unit after sustaining head injuries and a concussion during a horse-related accident last summer.
Princess Anne, 74, returned to Southmead Hospital in Bristol on Thursday, where she thanked the medical crews who were involved in her care.
Watch her arrival in the video below…
The royal, who had previously said she recalled “nothing” from the accident told staff: “You’ve been filling in the blanks, which partly, from my perspective, is really useful to know what happened because I seriously don’t have any idea and, sadly, I don’t have huge memories of being in here either. I just know I was really well looked after so thank you.
“But whatever you did, it seemed to work… the recovery being relatively straightforward, thankfully. That isn’t always true so I’m really grateful.
“I’m also grateful in a weird sort of way that I remember nothing because that has huge advantages you can just carry on.”
It had not previously been known that the Princess had been treated in intensive care. At the time, Buckingham Palace said she had been admitted to hospital “as a precautionary measure for observation”.
Morwenna Maddock, the ICU matron who oversaw Anne’s care, said after the visit: “She does look incredibly well, it was lovely. It was really nice for her to come back and see the team. She very kindly thanked us all.”
© Getty ImagesAnne’s arrival
Anne was on her way to see her chickens on her Gatcombe Park estate when she is thought to have been struck by a horse’s head or legs in the incident last June.
An air ambulance and emergency services were dispatched to the royal’s Gloucestershire home, and following medical care by the crew, the Princess was taken by road 30 miles to Southmead.
© Getty ImagesWarm greeting
She spent five nights in the major hospital after the accident on June 23 and did not return to public royal duties until almost three weeks later after rehabilitation support at home.
On her trip to Cape Town, South Africa last month, Anne said of the incident: “It just reminds you, shows you – you never quite know, something (happens) and you might not recover,” before adding that “every day is a bonus”.
© Getty ImagesAnne’s joke about horses
The Princess, who viewed the air ambulance helicopter pad and the staff garden during her visit, also appeared to joke about her horses and which one was responsible, saying: “I know if there was a perpetrator who managed to do that much damage, they’re not letting on either, so relationships remain absolutely secure.
“No one has gone absent as a result of this.”
© Getty ImagesRoyal visit
Maria Kane, chief executive of North Bristol NHS Trust, thanked the Princess for taking time out from her busy schedule to meet those involved in her care.
“We feel very privileged to have you come and see us,” she said.
“I know staff who talked to you earlier today have been very, very grateful to hear that you’ve made such a lovely recovery and look so well today.”
© Getty ImagesMeeting the critical care team
The Princess also met paramedic Sophie Taylor, who also accompanied her to the hospital, and the two-man critical care team who had the necessary skillset to treat her at the scene, doctor Richard Jeavons and specialist paramedic Callum Sutton, who work for Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.
© Getty ImagesMeeting the hospital choir
The ICU at Southmead is a purpose-built 48-bed unit which admits more than 2,000 patients each year, making it one of the busiest in the country.
Southmead Hospital is the regional specialist intensive care unit for departments such as major trauma, neurosciences, plastic surgery and burns, and infectious diseases.
