The Princess Royal attended a performance by the world’s oldest equestrian academy on October 18, as the academy toured the UK for the first time in almost a decade.
The meeting comes just months after Princess Anne was admitted to hospital with a minor head injury and concussion, believed to have resulted from a horse-related accident.
During the event held at the OVO Arena Wembley in London, Anne was treated to routines to classical Viennese music performed by eight riders and up to 26 horses from the Spanish Riding School.
Watching from the royal box, the white Lipizzaners performed the choreographies All The Steps And Movements Of The High School, On The Long Rein and School Quadrille.
On one occasion during a 1969 visit, the Princess Royal rode Lipizzaner horses with her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Academy will perform again at Wembley on October 19 and 20 before heading to P&J Live in Aberdeen for three shows on October 25, 26 and 27, marking their first appearance in Scotland.
Princess Anne enjoys horses and represented Great Britain in the three-day equestrian competition at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in Canada.
Sadly, the Duchess spent five nights in hospital and suffered a concussion and minor head injuries after she was reportedly hit by a horse while walking on her Gatcombe Park estate in June.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement at the time: “The Princess Royal suffered minor injuries and concussion as a result of the incident at the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening.”
The duchess missed several meetings following the incident, but flew to Paris later this summer to support athletes taking part in the 2024 Olympics.
The show’s host, Nicki Chapman, told the Daily Mail: “It was an absolute honor to host the opening night of the prestigious Spanish Riding School tour with The Princess Royal.”
They added: “It has been eight years since the Lipizzaner horses and their incredibly talented riders last visited the UK and sharing their magic with both the Princess Royal and the British public made the evening even more memorable.”
The Spanish Driving School in Vienna states on its website that it is the only institution in the world that has “been practicing for over 450 years”.
It states that the famous “White Stallion Ballet” will perform in Scotland for the first time in its 459-year history and will make its debut in Aberdeen on October 25.
