Prince Philip has been involved in a dramatic car crash with another vehicle, Buckingham Palace says.
The 97-year-old was pulling out of a driveway onto a freeway in Norfolk, close to The Queen’s Sandringham Estate, when his Land Rover collided with another car.
Shocking photos taken after the crash show Prince Philip’s car flipped on its side, with a huge number of dents and all the windows broken.
Eyewitnesses said they helped extract the Duke from his car and he was conscious but “very, very shocked and shaken.”
The BBC’s royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said that two people in the other car involved in the crash were treated for minor injuries.
“The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon. The Duke was not injured,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a statement.
“The accident took place close to the Sandringham Estate. Local police attended the scene,” the spokesperson said.
The Queen is reportedly now by his side and apart from being a little rattled, the Duke is in good health. He was seen to by a doctor as a precaution and is now back at Sandringham, without any inuries.
The Duke’s “royal protection officer” is also reportedly safe and well.
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Prince Philip is doing well and The Queen is by his side. (Image: Getty)
A UK police spokesman said: “We were called to the scene at around 3pm to reports of a two vehicle collision.
“The road is not blocked. Recovery has been called and we are at the scene waiting for them to arrive.”
Witness Berneen Caney, 25, told Britain’s ITV News: “It appeared to be quite serious, there was a lot of glass over the road as well as debris, I saw one of the cars was quite badly damaged, as for the Range Rover, its windows were smashed.”
She added: “By the time I passed by, the Range Rover had been tipped back up on its wheels.
“I didn’t see that much as I was more concerned the car in front of me was braking to turn off and that there was glass and debris all over the road.
“There was a lot of people there including police, and there was a paramedic there too.”
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Sandringham Estate in the private country residence owned by Queen Elizabeth in Norfolk, in rural England. Prince Philip has been staying there with The Queen since Christmas.
The Duke did not attend the royal family’s traditional Christmas Day church service at Sandringham. His last public appearance was at Prince Charles’ 70th birthday celebrations in November.
He underwent a successful hip replacement last year and retired from official public engagements in 2017.
Prince Philip is a famously keen driver and loves his independence, even walking without a stick.
When Barack and Michelle Obama visited the Queen at Windsor in 2016, Prince Philip drove the political pair to Windsor Castle.
He also drives horse-drawn carriages and famously owned an old British black cab when he was younger and used to sneak out for secret drives around London.
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Prince Philip. (Image: Getty)
Rubble at the crash site. (Image: Getty)
Prince Philip’s accident has reignited debate in the UK about whether older drivers should be allowed to stay on the road.
The UK’s Automobile Association President Edmund King said young people are actually far more likely to be involved in a crash than older drivers.
“We wish the Duke of Edinburgh well. Many commentators use high profile car crashes involving elderly drivers as a reason to call for bans or restrictions on older driver, but driving restrictions based on age and safety were introduced we would be more likely to restrict young drivers rather than older drivers,” Mr King told The Daily Mail.
“Young, predominantly male, drivers are much more likely to crash within 6 months of passing their test than older drivers within 6 months of hanging up their keys.”
