Prince Philip car crash: Duke of Edinburgh escapes unhurt after accident near Sandringham Estate

Police called to estate 'following reports of a collision involving two cars'

Prince Philip has been involved in a road accident while driving close to the Queen’s Sandringham Estate.

The Duke of Edinburgh was not injured in the crash on Thursday afternoon, Buckingham Palace said.

Norfolk Police said officers were called to the Sandringham Estate shortly before 3pm “following reports of a collision involving two cars”.

A spokesperson said: “It is force policy to breath test drivers involved in collisions. We can confirm both drivers were breath tested and provided negative readings.”

They added that police and ambulance crews attended and two people in one of the vehicles suffered minor injuries. The palace said the 97-year-old royal was seen later by a doctor as a precaution and confirmed he was not injured.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the duke was driving when the accident happened.

She added: “He saw a doctor as a precaution and the doctor confirmed he was not injured.”

Witnesses, who contacted the BBC, said Philip’s Land Rover rolled over during the collision with a Kia. They added that they helped the duke from his vehicle and said the Queen’s consort was conscious but “very, very shocked” and shaken.

Berneen Caney, 25, who witnessed the scene of the accident, said: “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.”

The support worker from King’s Lynn 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.”

The palace spokesperson would not comment on who Prince Philip’s passenger was, but it is likely the duke was travelling with his close protection officer.

An image from the scene of the crash published by local radio station KL.FM 96.7 showed two cars by the side of the road, one on its side with a smashed windscreen and another in some bushes a few yards away.

Earlier in the day Norfolk Police had warned drivers to “take it slow” when driving home after the Met Office issued a yellow warning for snow and ice in the east of England.

The Archbishop of York shared a message of support for the Duke of Edinburgh following the car accident.

John Sentamu tweeted: “Almighty God, the Fountain of all Goodness, We humbly beseech thee to bless Philip Duke of Edinburgh: Endue him with thy Holy Spirit; enrich him with thy Heavenly Grace; prosper him with all happiness; and bring him to thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The duke is no stranger to the driving seat, and was seen with famous passengers in a Range Rover in 2016.

Prince Philip showed the former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle the personal touch when he drove them and the Queen to Windsor Castle after the Marine One presidential helicopter landed close to the monarch’s Berkshire home during their visit to the UK in April 2016.

Even in his eighties, the duke continued to compete in demanding carriage driving competitions, and has previously pulled muscles in his back while driving his horse-drawn carriage.

In 2017, he joked how the rough and tumble of carriage driving left his “Balmoral dog cart” smashed up regularly. In his first interview since he announced his retirement, the Duke of Edinburgh told how he took up the sport of carriage driving when he gave up polo aged 50.

He was instrumental in helping to establish the sport, but gave up competitions some years ago.

Prince Philip retired from public duties in 2017, but he still occasionally attends events with the Queen.

His retirement from royal duties was marked with a commemorative £5 coin bearing the words “not for self but country” in Latin under an image of the prince.

He underwent hip surgery in April last year.

Additional reporting by agencies