Princess Michael of Kent has opened up about her health struggles, revealing she has been left with two broken wrists following a fall at her Kensington Palace home.
The 79-year-old royal, who is married to the Queen's cousin Prince Michael of Kent, suffered the injury while carrying coats and used her hands to break her fall, resulting in multiple fractures.
In an interview ahead of her 80th birthday, she shared the impact of the accident on her daily life, saying: "So many things that you rely on being able to do, like cleaning your teeth, are impossible. I can type with one finger on a mobile, but I can't use a laptop. I am told that, after an accident like this, if you do one wrong movement on top of the unhealed bones, you are back where you started."
Additionally, Princess Michael revealed that she was diagnosed with a heart condition last year that necessitated surgery, telling Majesty magazine: "It shocked me. I still have to rest every afternoon."
The royal couple have two children, Lord Frederick Windsor and Lady Gabriella Windsor, with Lady Gabriella facing her own tragedy earlier this year when her husband Thomas Kingston passed away suddenly in February.
The inquest at Gloucestershire Coroner's Court heard he died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound after suffering an adverse reaction to medication prescribed for his mental health. Lady Gabriella, 43, spoke out during the inquest, highlighting the need for better awareness of the potential effects of mental health medications, fearing without it more lives may be lost, reports the Mirror.
Princess Michael also candidly reflected on her son-in-law's tragic and sudden death, admitting "we never had an inkling anything was wrong". She affectionately remembered Thomas as a "lovely man, so kind and thoughtful" and noted the family's strong support for Lady Gabriella, particularly from her brother Freddie and his wife Sophie.
This revelation comes just as the Royal Family, including Princess Michael, her husband, children, and grandchildren were seen attending the annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace. The attendance included Prince and Princess Michael, seen driving to the palace, along with Freddie, Sophie, and their two daughters, and Gabriella.
Other royals, such as the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and both Princess Beatrice, alongside her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi, and Princess Eugenie with her husband Jack Brooksbank, were also reported to be present.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were absent from the lunch. A Royal insider revealed that William and Kate were in Norfolk as scheduled, eagerly anticipating their Christmas celebrations with the rest of the Royal family at Sandringham.
The Buckingham Palace lunch is a private gathering for senior royals and extended family members who won't be joining the festivities at the King's residence in Norfolk.
