The Royal Family has been dealt another health setback, with a beloved member of the Firm having to withdraw from a significant trip.
It’s been revealed that Princess Anne is embarking on a two-day trip to South Africa without her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, due to an injury he sustained.
The Princess Royal is starting her visit in Cape Town today, but she’s travelling solo after Sir Tim reportedly tore a ligament while working on her Gatcombe estate.
The former naval officer requires treatment in the UK and can’t accompany the princess, who will be flying commercially.
Sir Tim is often seen quietly supporting his wife as she travels nationwide and globally, earning her the reputation of being the most industrious Royal. Despite his understated presence, it appears Sir Tim holds a cherished position within the Royal Family, with the late Queen seemingly fond of him.
Although he didn’t receive a Royal title upon marriage, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and also served as a personal aide-de-camp to the late Queen.
Princess Anne is set to begin the trip with a project close to her heart – using horses to support the disabled.
She will observe riders at the Cape Town-based organisation, South African Riding for the Disabled Association, which mirrors the UK charity Riding for the Disabled, of which the princess is president, reports the Mirror.
Both charities utilise horse riding to enhance the wellbeing of children and adults with physical disabilities.
Later, at the British High Commission, Anne will take in an exhibition by former England cricketer Nick Compton, grandson of famed batsman Denis Compton. During her two-day visit, the princess will pay tribute to the sacrifices made by black South Africans and other races who served as military labourers during the First World War.
As president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, she will unveil the Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial, honouring over 1,700 South Africans who performed non-combat roles and died without a known grave or commemoration.
She will also pay a visit to the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, which preserves the memory and achievements of the former archbishop of Cape Town, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his opposition to apartheid in South Africa.
Anne, who last visited South Africa in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, will also stop by the Royal Cape Yacht Club and the South African Astronomical Observatory.
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