The Princess Royal has been admitted to hospital after she suffered minor injuries and concussion on her estate in Gloucestershire, Buckingham Palace has said.

Princess Anne, 73, is expected to make a full and swift recovery after an incident at her Gatcombe Park estate, a statement said.

She remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, “as a precautionary measure for observation”.

“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 added.

The cause of the injury is unconfirmed, but it’s understood to be consistent with a potential impact from a horse’s head or legs.

The Princess Royal had been expected to begin a visit to Canada at the end of this week.

Canadian media had reported she was due to take part in a ceremony at a war memorial in Newfoundland.

During the recent D-Day commemorations Princess Anne met veterans and their families at the Bayeux War Cemetery in France.

Princess Anne has been known as one of the most hard working royals, carrying out many engagements.

Her sense of public duty combined with a no-nonsense approach has helped her status as one of the most popular royals, with consistently high approval ratings in opinion polls.

She is known for her interest in horses and her achievements in equestrian sports, becoming the first member of the Royal Family to compete in the Olympics, in the games in Montreal in 1976.

Princess Anne is the second child of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and was third in line to the throne when she was born in 1950. She is now 17th in the line of succession.

She has married twice. Her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, is the father of her two children, Peter and Zara. Her second husband is Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.