Duke quits car but could face crash charges
Police say the Duke of Edinburgh could face charges over the car crash which left two women injured.
Norfolk Police confirmed last night that they have passed the file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) despite 97-year-old Prince Philip voluntarily surrendering his driving licence.
The CPS will now decide whether it is in the public interest to take the matter further. The fact that the Duke has now surrendered his licence will be taken into account, said a CPS statement.
One lawyer had previously suggested the Duke could avoid any potential prosecution for driving without due care and attention by giving up his licence.
Philip has apologised for his part in the accident on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk when his Land Rover Freelander collided with another car.
Yesterday, a statement from Buckingham Palace said: “After careful consideration, the Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence.”
Philip’s driving woes began on January 17 when his car flipped over after he pulled out into a busy A road and collided with a Kia, carrying a nine-month-old boy, his mother and another passenger.
He escaped injury but passenger Emma Fairweather broke her wrist and called for the Duke to be prosecuted if he was found to be at a fault.
However, wearing tinted glasses, the Duke was photographed driving again days later while not wearing a seatbelt.