PHIL HER UP
»»Duke of Edinburgh now ready to drive again after a Land Rover is delivered »»Doctors give him the all-clear but he faces a full police investigation
PRINCE Philip won’t have to wait for insurers to assess his damaged Land Rover – there’s another one waiting on the driveway at Sandringham.
And thanks to a clean bill of health by hospital doctors, the Duke of Edinburgh could soon be behind the wheel again.
Philip, 97, was back recuperating at Sandringham House last night after being advised by a doctor to go to hospital for a check-up nearly 24 hours after the horror crash.
Hours after being given the all clear at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, royal aides took delivery of another black Land Rover Freelander, driven into the Sandringham Estate inside a delivery truck.
The Land Rover is an exact replica of the one Philip was driving before Thursday’s drama when his two-ton armoured 4x4 collided with a Kia people carrier before overturning.
It is understood it was ordered to be brought down from Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish residence, where the duke was pictured driving it last year.
Philip was driving alone before Thursday’s 3pm incident, without a private protection officer in the car with him or even following him in a vehicle.
Royal protection experts said the incident would send “shock waves through the palace” and could lead to a “root and branch” examination of the duke’s capacity to drive.
A senior palace source said: “The duke is well known for his fierce independence and was adamant the minimum of fuss be made over him after the accident.
“He’s not one for being told what to do, however, perhaps it is time for him to take advice on his ability to drive himself or at least alone on public roads.
“He was deeply concerned for the welfare of the other passengers, especially the young child, but insisted he was perfectly fine and did not require special attention.”
Two female passengers, sisters aged 28 and 45, were taken to hospital, along with the younger woman’s nine-month-old baby.
The older woman suffered a broken wrist, with the young mum sustaining cuts to her knee. The baby was given the all-clear. A medic said: “His Royal Highness had no injuries of concern”.
A senior royal source said the “shocked and shaken” duke instructed staff to get in touch with the passengers in the other car.
A palace spokesman confirmed: “Contact has been made privately with the passengers in the other car and well-wishes exchanged.”
A good samaritan who pulled the duke from his vehicle after it overturned and slid across the road said yesterday it was “astonishing” the Queen’s husband was not killed in the accident.
Roy Warne, 75, said he saw Prince Philip’s Freelander “careering” out of a side road near the Sandringham estate before hitting the passing Kia people carrier.
Norfolk Police are investigating as legal experts suggested the duke could be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention, with an unlimited fine.
But Nick Freeman, the lawyer dubbed Mr Loophole who specialises in motoring offences, said the most likely scenario is that he will agree to surrender his licence and agree not to drive on public roads.
Freeman said it appeared Philip was in the wrong as he did not have right of way and, if blinded by the sun, as reported, he should not have pulled out.
“The police will probably speak to him under caution by appointment,” he said.
“A file will go to the CPS, who will decide if there’s a likelihood of conviction and if it’s in the public interest to prosecute a 97-year-old who has devoted his life to public service. It is unlikely.”
Freeman said the injured women in the other car may wish to launch a civil
JOKING Princess Anne action which would be dealt with by the respective insurance companies. He said the police would also see whether Prince Philip and his doctors had disclosed medical issues that might affect driving. All motorists and GPs are bound by law to do this regardless of age. The accident has already prompted some to question whether it is now sensible for the Queen’s consort to think about giving up driving.
Prince Charles said he was worried about his dad driving at his age four years ago, talking to a D-Day veteran’s son who was also concerned about his own dad’s insistence on driving. “I’m always worried,” Charles said at the time. But the Prince of Wales didn’t appeartroubled yesterday, saying he would honour a commitment in Scotland on Tuesday.
And Princess Anne joked with journalists that she had no idea how the duke was, when questioned at an event in Lancashire.
Prime Minister Theresa May offered her support to the duke, sending him a private message wishing him well.
Police are expected to take statements from the duke, the female driver of the Kia and other relevant witnesses. Buckingham Palace had no comment.
Measures to reduce the speed limit from 60 to 50mph and install cameras on the A149, where the duke crashed, were approved yesterday.