Prince Philip Gives Up Driver’s License Three Weeks After Car Accident
Prince Philip, 97, has decided to give up his driver’s license, three weeks after he collided with another vehicle near the royal estate in Sandringham.
“After careful consideration, the Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence,” read a statement from Buckingham Palace, as reported by the BBC.
According to the article, the Duke of Edinburgh has already relinquished his license to the police.
Days after the crash, Philip was seen driving without a seatbelt which triggered lots of criticism. As the Inquisitr previously reported, Emma Fairweather, one of the passengers in the car that he hit, also claimed that he did not send an apology. She was the most injured out of all three involved, and suffered a broken wrist as a result of the collision. The driver’s baby, who was in the backseat, was not hurt at all.
As the Guardian reports, he has since sent a written letter to her, apologizing for his role in the accident.
In the letter, he blamed the sun for affecting his vision on the day and preventing him from seeing the approaching car.
“It was a bright sunny day and at about three in the afternoon, the sun was low over the Wash. In other words, the sun was shining over the main road. In normal conditions I would have no difficulty in seeing traffic coming from the Dersingham direction, but I can only imagine that I failed to see the car coming, and I am very contrite about the consequences.”
Britain's Prince Philip gives up driving license after crash https://t.co/cO8GySVIu7 pic.twitter.com/TYbsiOHumh
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 9, 2019
After the accident, there was speculation that the police would force Philip to give up his license because he was responsible for the crash. But the royal correspondent for the BBC, Johnny Dymond, said that the prince handed over the license of his own volition. This means that he’ll now have to depend on a driver to get around.
According to the BBC, Fairweather was pleased with the apology note and liked that Philip signed it with his first name only instead of adding his royal title.
The accident happened in January when Philip’s Land Rover, collided with the other car, a Kia, on a public road near Sandringham in Norfolk, England. Philip’s car ended up on its side and he was rescued from the wreck by another motorist.
Prince Philip said goodbye to his official royal duties in August, 2017, when he retired. He has since only been seen with his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, at informal gatherings like the wedding of his grandson, Prince Harry, last year.
