Prince Philip Voluntarily Gives Up Driver's License After Receiving Advice From Police

Prince Philip voluntarily gave up his driving license following the words of advice that he received from the Norfolk Police.

On Saturday, Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming that the Duke of Edinburgh surrendered his license days after he was involved in a two-car collision in Sandringham.

The 97-year-old’s Land Rover Freelander landed on its side after colliding with a Kia. Emma Fairweather, a passenger in the Kia, broke her wrist following the accident on Jan. 17. Prince Philip, Fairweather and the woman’s companion were rushed to the hospital for a quick checkup. It was revealed that Prince Philip did not sustain any injuries.

Four days after the accident, Prince Philip wrote a letter addressed to Fairweather where he apologized for what happened.

“I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the accident. The sun was shining low over the main road,” the retired royal explained.

However, before Prince Philip’s apology was made public, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband first received a slew of criticism from royal fans and experts. Some people said that the senior royal should no longer be allowed to drive. Others also said that Prince Philip should always be accompanied by his royal aides when driving or riding his car.

Days after the accident, Prince Philip was also criticized after he was photographed driving his car without a seatbelt. Her Majesty was also photographed in a similar situation, but she was accompanied by her male staff.

The Queen’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter came to her defense amid the disapproval from the public. He said that the monarch is a very cautious driver so people shouldn’t worry.

“I can tell you, at times, the Queen does have a heavy right foot, but she is a very safe and cautious driver,” he told US Weekly.

He also said that the Queen will never encourage Prince Philip to give up driving because this is something that he really enjoys.