Last January 17, 2019, Prince Philip was involved in a car accident while driving his Land Rover on a road near his Sandringham residence.
When Buckingham Palace reported the news, the public criticized that the Duke of Edinburgh was in front of the wheel at the age of 97.
Prince Philip’s car accident
It was a Thursday at just before three o’clock in the afternoon, local time, when Prince Philip was driving through the county of Norfolk, very close to the Queen’s Sandringham residence when he was involved in a terrible accident with another vehicle, a ‘Kia’ model in which two women were traveling.
The Land Rover in which the Duke of Edinburgh was traveling overturned, suffering major damage, but the husband of Queen Elizabeth II was unhurt. The occupants of the other car had to be taken to a nearby hospital after suffering several cuts and injuries, later that day they were discharged.
Buckingham Palace only reported that a doctor had examined Philip as a precaution and confirmed that he was in perfect health. Neither the police nor the palace agreed to provide further details.
Was Prince Philip drunk at the time of the accident?
The local police quickly arrived at the scene and, as required by law, proceeded to carry out several tests, including a breathalyzer test on both parties involved in the accident, both of which were negative.
According to witnesses, the vehicle Prince Philip was driving overturned due to the collision and he was helped out of the car.
He was conscious, but “very, very shaken,” they said.
It should be noted that, in April 2018, Philip had undergone a successful hip replacement operation, eight months after retiring from his official duties after decades of supporting the queen.
For many, it was a miracle that Prince Philip emerged completely unscathed from the controversial accident. The Duke was just five months shy of his 98th birthday, so it came as something of a surprise to many that he was still driving on public roads.