Prince Philip escapes unhurt after car crash
January 17, 2019
Prince Philip, the 97-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was involved in a car accident on Thursday but was uninjured, Buckingham Palace and police confirmed.
"The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon," the palace said in a statement.
The two-vehicle crash occurred near the Sandringham royal estate in Norfolk in southeastern England. Norfolk Police officers were called to the scene around 3:00 p.m. (1500 GMT).
Two people in the other vehicle sustained minor injuries in the accident and were treated by ambulance crews, a police spokesperson said.
Local radio station KLFM 96.7 snapped a picture of the accident, which appeared to show the Range Rover Philip was driving flipped on its side, with another car crashed on the side of the road. Initially, it was treated as an ordinary car accident until the broadcaster realized they had a scoop.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman confirmed reports that Prince Philip had been driving at the time of the accident.
Shortly after the crash, John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, tweeted out prayers for Prince Philip — and later for the other victims as it became clear others had been hurt.
Neither palace officials nor police have released further details about the accident.
Elizabeth and Philip were married in 1947 at Westminster Abbey. Philip, a former naval officer who is known for his off-color remarks, has remained by the Queen's side during her long reign.
He retired from public life in 2017 and did not accompany the Queen to a Christmas Day church service.
rs/msh (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)