London: Britain's Prince Philip has apologised to a woman who broke her wrist after being involved in a car crash with his Land Rover, saying that he is "deeply sorry" for the terrifying accident.
Last week, Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, miraculously escaped unhurt in the accident when the Land Rover he was driving flipped onto its side after a collision with another car carrying two women and a baby.
The 97-year-old Duke of Edinburgh was unharmed but the two women in the Kia hatchback were injured in the accident near the Queen's Sandringham estate on Thursday. The nine-month-old baby who was in the back seat of car was uninjured. The Duke said in a letter to Emma Fairweather, who broke her wrist in the accident, that he was "very sorry" for his part in the accident, and wished "a speedy recovery from a very distressing experience, the Sunday Mirror reported.
"I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the accident... I can only imagine that I failed to see the car coming, and I am very contrite about the consequences," said the letter published by the paper. "I was somewhat shaken after the accident," he continued, "but I was greatly relieved that none of you were seriously injured. As a crowd was beginning to gather, I was advised to return to Sandringham House by a local police officer. I have since learned that you suffered a broken arm. I am deeply sorry about this injury."
Last week Fairweather, a passenger in the Kia, told the newspaper that she felt "ignored and rejected" because she had not received an apology, but told the paper on Sunday that she was "chuffed" that he had finally responded. Fairweather, from King's Lynn, told the Sunday Mirror:
"I thought it was really nice that he signed off as 'Philip' and not the formal title. I was pleasantly surprised because of the personalised nature." The paper reported Buckingham Palace has confirmed the letter is genuine.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who took delivery of a replacement Land Rover after the crash, was later reportedly spoken to by police after being pictured driving without a seat belt two days after the crash. Philip, who formally retired from public life in 2017, has been seen behind the wheels on numerous occasions over the decade.
At present, there is no upper age limit for driving in the UK. However, a person's driving licence expires once he or she reaches the age of 70. If the licence expires and they fail to renew it, then they legally are not allowed to drive. But if they apply for a renewal they may continue.
