Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, was involved in a car accident near Sandringham Estate, in the English county of Norfolk, Buckingham Palace announced.
The duke of Edinburgh was in a car crash, one which involved another vehicle, on Thursday afternoon. However, the 97-year-old was not injured, per a Twitter post from the BBC. The road traffic accident took place near the royal family’s private home in the countryside, and local police rushed to the scene, according to a Twitter post from royal reporter Carolyn Durand. It has been confirmed that the duke was driving the car, but the identities of the two other people who were involved in the two-vehicle crash still remain unknown.
Prince Philip was driving a Range Rover, and the car was “pulling out of a driveway onto the A149” when the accident took place, according to the BBC . Per eyewitnesses and photos from the scene that have since been released, the vehicle which the duke was driving ended up overturning. Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell reported that the people on the scene who witnessed the crash helped the prince to get out of the car — and that despite the fact that he was conscious, he was “very shocked and shaken.” He is now back at Sandringham Estate, and has been checked by a doctor.
Witchell also confirmed that the two people within the other vehicle had received medical treatment for minor injuries, as the Norfolk Police department reported.
Prince Philip has been involved in a car crash near to Sandringham – Buckingham Palace say he was unhurt https://t.co/kKAVJYOlwX pic.twitter.com/WX8V5wA0md
— ITV News (@itvnews) January 17, 2019
PICTURED: Pictures reportedly taken at scene of road crash near the Sandringham Estate involving Prince Philip https://t.co/myiEEP1GW9 pic.twitter.com/FXNtHVjdDe
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) January 17, 2019
Both the queen and Prince Philip have been staying at their countryside home since the Christmas holiday. Prince Philip has often spent time at the Wood Farm cottage in Sandringham since retiring from his public duties as a full-time working member of the British royal family. Harry and William’s grandfather retired from his royal duties in August of 2017, after years of standing by Queen Elizabeth’s side and supporting her in her royal duties — as well as in attending events for his own organizations and charities. Since marrying into the royal family in 1952, Buckingham Palace calculated that he, alone, had undertaken an impressive 22,219 royal engagements.
But since taking a step back from his official duties, Philip has taken a much-deserved break. He has only appeared in public events and church services alongside the queen and the rest of the royal family. However, he did not attend the royal family’s Christmas Day service at Sandringham Estate last year. According to Durand, he has enjoyed “carriage driving, painting, and other activities” since retiring from his full-time job as a member of the British royal family.
