Britain's Princess Anne 'recovering well' following 'incident,' husband says

LONDON and NEW YORK -- Britain's Princess Anne is "recovering well" after she was hospitalized Sunday evening, according to a new comment from her husband Sir Tim Laurence.

Laurence visited her at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, Tuesday and shared an update.

"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," the 69-year-old said.

"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," Laurence added.

The princess was taken to the hospital following an "incident" at Gatcombe Park, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday.

The palace said the princess was being treated in the hospital "as a precautionary measure" and the 73-year-old is "expected to make a full and swift 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 palace added in its statement.

It's not clear precisely how the "incident" occurred, but the princess sustained injuries to her head while out walking on her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire. There were horses nearby, and the medical team who examined her said that her head injuries are consistent with a potential impact from a horse's head or legs.

The British royal family has been preparing for an official state visit by Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako, who arrived in the United Kingdom on Saturday. The state visit officially began Tuesday but a Palace spokesperson said Princess Anne "will be unable to attend the State banquet" Tuesday night and added that her remaining engagements for the week have been postponed.

The princess is the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip and the younger sister of King Charles III.

Anne has been a working member of the royal family since 1969, when she started public engagements at the age of 18, according to her official biography. She is married to Laurence and shares two children with Captain Mark Phillips -- Peter Phillips and Zara Phillips Tindall.