The Princess Royal was forced to cancel a planned visit to a North East hospital on Thursday after adverse weather conditions prevented her helicopter from flying, Buckingham Palace has said.
Princess Anne had been due to travel to Middlesbrough in her capacity as Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. She was scheduled to mark the 20th anniversary of South Tees Occupational Therapy at James Cook University Hospital, part of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Due to adverse weather conditions preventing the helicopter from flying The Princess Royal has had to cancel the visit today.”
The cancellation came on the same day that Anne’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has since been released under investigation and has not been charged.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that searches at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk have concluded, while inquiries at Royal Lodge in Windsor are ongoing. The investigation relates to allegations that sensitive information may have been shared with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein during Andrew’s tenure as a UK trade envoy. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Andrew, who was stripped of his honorary military titles and royal patronages last year, has been living at Sandringham after moving from Royal Lodge. Legal proceedings became active at the point of his arrest, and any decision on whether charges will be brought rests with the Crown Prosecution Service.
Despite Thursday’s weather-related cancellation, the Princess Royal has maintained a typically busy programme in recent weeks. Known as one of the hardest-working members of the Royal Family, she has continued to undertake engagements across the country, including a recent visit to a prison where she met staff and offenders involved in rehabilitation and skills programmes.
Her scheduled visit to Middlesbrough was intended to highlight the contribution of occupational therapists within the NHS and to celebrate two decades of service at the South Tees unit.
Buckingham Palace has not indicated whether the hospital engagement will be rescheduled.
