Duke of Edinburgh '˜pictured driving new Land Rover' two days after crash
Images published on Saturday appeared to show Prince Philip, wearing dark glasses and no seatbelt, back behind the wheel of a new Freelander on the Queen’s Sandringham estate.
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Hide AdBuckingham Palace did not immediately comment on the images.
The 97-year-old reportedly said “I’m such a fool” after being pulled from his wrecked Freelander on Thursday after it flipped on its side following a collision with a Kia close to Sandringham.
The two women inside the Kia were hurt in the collision but the nine-month-old baby boy was unharmed, police said.
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Hide AdOn Friday, the Queen’s transport manager Alex Garty was seen at Sandringham as a new Freelander was delivered to the royal residence.
A palace spokeswoman said on Friday that Prince Philip had exchanged “well-wishes” with the injured women and appeared to have no lasting problems following the collision.
A source said on the same day: “The duke’s routine in the coming days will continue as normal.”
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Hide AdRetired NHS worker Victoria Warne told The Sun she spoke to the duke as she looked after the injured occupants of the Kia.
The 72-year-old from Norfolk said: “The passenger from the other car told me, ‘I always wanted to meet a royal - but not this way’.
She said the duke - who was found to have “no injuries of concern” after his check-up on Friday morning - asked about the welfare of the people involved in the crash.
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Hide Ad“I told him the baby was fine - but we thought the passenger had broken her arm,” she said.
“He looked so worried and told me, ‘I’m such a fool’.”
Norfolk Police said two women - the 28-year-old Kia driver who suffered cuts to her knee and a 45-year-old passenger who broke a wrist - were treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn that day and discharged.
The force is currently investigating the crash, and it said “any appropriate action” will be taken if necessary.
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Hide AdNick Freeman, the lawyer dubbed Mr Loophole, said the duke could be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention if he was deemed to have made a mistake.
But he added: “If the sun was so low and right in your eyes, sometimes it’s impossible to see, and that may well have been the case, and that would afford him a defence.”
The duke, who retired from public duties in 2017 but remains active, could also avoid prosecution by surrendering his licence, according to the lawyer known for representing celebrity clients like David Beckham.
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Hide AdNorfolk Constabulary said in a statement on Friday: “As is standard procedure with injury collisions, the incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken.
“We are aware of the public interest in this case, however, as with any other investigation it would be inappropriate to speculate on the causes of the collision until an investigation is carried out.”
Mrs Warne’s 75-year-old husband, Roy, helped the stricken duke out of his car.
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Hide AdHe told The Sun that Philip, who was left very shocked by the accident, asked if everybody was all right and was overheard telling police he had been “dazzled by the sun”.
Prince Philip was examined at hospital on doctor’s advice, but a check-up found no injuries of concern, a palace spokeswoman has said.
The crash happened as Philip’s Freelander pulled out of a side road on to a stretch of the A149 which was earmarked by the local authority for possible safety measures.
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Hide AdThe duke appeared to be travelling without a police protection officer, individuals who guard all senior members of the Royal Family when at public and private events.
At a meeting, coincidentally scheduled for Friday, Norfolk County Council approved plans to lower the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph, backed by speed cameras.