UK's Prince Philip, 97, escapes unhurt from car crash

By Andrew MacAskill

 

Britain's Prince Philip waits for the bridal procession following the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, near London, Britain October 12, 2018. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth's 97-year-old husband Prince Philip escaped uninjured from a car crash while driving on Thursday near the Sandringham estate in eastern England.

 

Police said two people in a car that collided with that of the prince, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, were both taken to hospital for minor injuries but later discharged.

 

Pictures from the scene showed a Land Rover overturned on the side of the road. The accident occurred when Philip was pulling out of a driveway onto a main road, the BBC reported, quoting a witness saying he was very shaken.

 

Philip drove former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to lunch during their state visit to Britain in 2016.

 

Buckingham Palace confirmed Thursday's accident.

 

"The Duke was not injured," it added in a statement.

 

A palace spokeswoman later confirmed Philip was at the wheel and was checked by a doctor afterwards. He did not go to hospital and was now back at Sandringham, the private country residence owned by Queen Elizabeth in the county of Norfolk.

 

Famous for verbal gaffes but generally regarded with wry affection by Britons, Philip married Elizabeth in 1947 and has been by his wife's side throughout her long reign.

 

Since retiring from official solo duties in 2017, he has appeared in public alongside the Queen and other members of the royal family at events and church services.

 

He had successful hip replacement surgery last year.

 

The former naval officer did not accompany the Queen to a church service on Christmas Day last month though a royal source said he was in good health.

 

Kate Williams, a royal historian, said it would be a blow to Philip if the incident ended his driving days. "He really loves driving and takes a great pleasure in it and were he not allowed to drive he would find that quite painful," she said.

 

There is no legal age in Britain to stop driving, but after 70 people must renew their licence every three years.

 

Outspoken yet intensely private, Philip developed a reputation for brusque comments and often headline-grabbing remarks during ceremonial events.

 

A stray comment about "slitty eyes" during a visit to China in the 1980s became symbolic of his gruff and often unguarded manner.

Even into his 90s, his off-the-cuff comments could still get him into trouble, such as when he exasperatedly swore at a photographer during an event in 2015.

 

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Stephen Addison; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-01-18

They still let him drive???   

reaction times wouldn't have been so drastic, back in the old past days of (if?)  when piloting the Britannia, out on the open sea... no (rapid) traffic

 

I am sure an old naval officer had been given the chance at some times?

Kate Williams royal historian said it would be a blow if the incident would end his driving days, what !!

Get a life woman, silly old buffer should not have been driving, license? Ohh that is only a requirement for the peasants.

 

According to the Daily Wail he pulled out in front of someone and got t-boned. Time to hang up the driving gloves methinks.

 

He can still drive on the estates and drive his horse powered kit.

 

Pictures from the Daily Mail 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A palace spokeswoman later confirmed Philip was at the wheel

imagine if all the drivers on the road you meet today are 97 years old

"Dazzled by winter sunshine", my foot. Advanced old age and poor eyesight are way more likely to be the main causes of this accident.

 

97 years old - the man should not even be allowed to leave the house unattended!

Edited January 18, 20197 yr by Bullie

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the prince, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh

Sounds like a criminal!

How dare he crash without a Cap on Backwards. The true sign of Superiority. Nice Chap ,he had time for me so ize biased.!!

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

According to the Daily Wail he pulled out in front of someone and got t-boned. Time to hang up the driving gloves methinks.

 

He can still drive on the estates and drive his horse powered kit.

 

Pictures from the Daily Mail 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both vehicles must have been going pretty fast to overturn a Range Rover, twice. 

2 hours ago, Chang_paarp said:

They still let him drive???   

ALONE as well. Surely he should have had a security man with him.

HRH should be charged with driving without due care & attention. Dazzled by the sun? Rubbish, the Kia was coming from the North, but the sun goes via the South.

stop, look, listen.

he obviously did none of these things.

careless and dangerous driving.

but being who he is, he will get away with it.

 

I see plenty of young drivers in Thailand who have flipped their vehicles...... Almost every week.

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

ALONE as well. Surely he should have had a security man with him.

Or a carer (supervisor)

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

imagine if all the drivers on the road you meet today are 97 years old

Most of them here may as well be.....

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

imagine if all the drivers on the road you meet today are 97 years old

Be like driving in Thailand!!555????????????

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

Kate Williams royal historian said it would be a blow if the incident would end his driving days, what !!

Get a life woman, silly old buffer should not have been driving, license? Ohh that is only a requirement for the peasants.

He shoots them! 

TBH he seems to have been driving on the Sandringham estate (Private property) up until the point where he crossed the main road & had the accident.

Anyone with dashcam footage has just won the lottery????

 

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

ALONE as well. Surely he should have had a security man with him.

I love the old shit bag, to be honest. But as you say. Where was his security detail? I think there will be some bollockings dished out. 

1 hour ago, jobsworth said:

but being who he is, he will get away with it.

 

His new favourite band will be Manfred Mann.

3 minutes ago, Snow Leopard said:

I love the old shit bag, to be honest. But as you say. Where was his security detail? I think there will be some bollockings dished out. 

One of them to him from the old Lady hopefully. 

Off topic troll post removed

Someone (not the dementia victim) should be up for charges for endangering the public.

Edited January 18, 20197 yr by from the home of CC
grammar

9 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

One of them to him from the old Lady hopefully. 

Has to be the old ladies fault no?????? It would be in Thailand ????

Police said two people in a car that collided with that of the prince........

 

Implies that it was the fault of the Kia driver.

1 hour ago, kamahele said:

I see plenty of young drivers in Thailand who have flipped their vehicles...... Almost every week.

Just shows that the most famous of Brit drivers don't do it much better than the Thais if even British prince displays low driving skills. ????????

 

Just a joke don't take my head off.

 

The guy should not be driving at his age.

Doesn’t make the Press here.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

So there was no 40 car convoy , with all roads blocked for hours, when someone from the British royal family went out for a pack of fags?

4 hours ago, YetAnother said:

imagine if all the drivers on the road you meet today are 97 years old

Could be worse, they could all be 17 and texting while driving.

31 minutes ago, robblok said:

Just shows that the most famous of Brit drivers don't do it much better than the Thais if even British prince displays low driving skills. ????????

 

Just a joke don't take my head off.

 

The guy should not be driving at his age.

He has one accident and you decide he shouldn't be driving? So when should drivers licences no longer be issued, 70, 80, or whenever you decide?