Toronto, February 11: Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip has surrendered his driving licence weeks after he crashed into another vehicle which left the opposing driver with a broken arm. The Buckingham Palace announced the Duke of Edinburgh’s decision over the weekend. "After careful consideration The Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence," the palace said in a statement.
Prince Philip, who is 97-years old, collided with another car on a public road near the Queen's Sandringham estate while driving a Land Rover, last month. The prince later apologized to Emma Fairweather, who broke her arm in the collision, blaming the accident on sunlight that obscured his view. He later admitted he was "shaken" by the incident.
A Norfolk Police said: “We can confirm that the 97 year old driver of the Land Rover involved in the collision at Sandringham on Thursday 17 January 2019 has today voluntarily surrendered his licence to officers. We will follow the standard procedure and return the licence to the DVLA.”
Despite Prince Philip’s decision to surrender his licence, the UK police are still considering whether charges would be pressed against the royal. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said they would "review each file carefully before a decision is made" and will take into account that Philip surrendered his license. The Duke, who has given a police statement, could be charged with careless driving.
Prince Philip who is known for his love of cars, was however photographed driving without wearing a seat belt just days after his accident. This led to increased debate over his age and ability to hold a driving licence.
Over the years, the Duke of Edinburgh has been photographed driving various automobiles including personally driving US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama along with Queen Elizabeth during the former’s 2016 state visit to England.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 11, 2019 01:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).