Prince Philip, 97, Has ‘Voluntarily’ Given Up His Driver’s License Following Car Crash

By Megan Specia

Prince Philip is putting down the car keys at age 97.

Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, gave up his driver’s
license, according to a statement released on behalf of the royal
family on Saturday, a month after a collision on a rural road north
of London raised questions about his abilities behind the
wheel.

“After careful consideration, the Duke of Edinburgh has taken
the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving license,” said a
spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace, referring to Philip by his
official royal title.

The prince was involved in a crash on Jan. 17 near the royal
family’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, about 100 miles north of
London. His Land Rover S.U.V. overturned after colliding with
another vehicle.

The driver and a passenger of the other car suffered minor
injuries; the prince and a 9-month-old boy in the other vehicle
were unharmed.

No one was charged at the time,
though the police in Norfolk said on Saturday that the results of
their investigation were pending. “The investigation file for the
collision has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for
their consideration,” the police said in a statement^[1].

Both drivers tested negative for
alcohol use at the time, the police said.

The Norfolk police confirmed that
Philip had handed over his license to their office and, following
standard protocol, they had forwarded it to the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency.

Days after the crash, Philip sent a
letter of apology to the driver of the other vehicle, a copy of
which was published by The Sunday Mirror.^[2]

“I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the
accident at the Babingley crossroads,” Philip wrote. He explained
what had happened from his perspective, saying that bright sunlight
shining on the main road had impeded his view.

“In normal conditions I would have no difficulty in seeing
traffic coming from the Dersingham direction,” he wrote. “But I can
only imagine that I failed to see the car coming, and I am very
contrite about the consequences.”

He said he was “somewhat shaken” by the collision but relieved
no one was seriously injured.

Two days after the crash, Philip
was photographed behind the wheel of another
vehicle^[3] near
the Sandringham estate, this time without a seatbelt fastened. The
prince was given “suitable words of advice” by an officer after
that incident, according to a statement from the Norfolk
police.

British drivers over age 70 must
renew their licenses every three years and report any new medical
conditions to the authorities, but there is no upper age
limit for driving in the country.

Philip ended all official engagements after he retired from
public duties in late 2017. But in the time since, he has remained
active, walking on the family’s sprawling estates and driving
horse-drawn carriages.

In 2016, at age 94, Philip drove President Barack Obama,
Michelle Obama and Queen Elizabeth around the grounds of Windsor
Castle during a state visit.

He was also an avid pilot in his younger years, but gave up
flying when he was 76.

Unlike her husband, Queen Elizabeth, 92, does not need a
driver’s license to get behind the wheel, a privilege she enjoys as
the country’s sovereign. She learned to drive in
1945, according to the BBC^[4],
and has been seen driving regularly since.

Culled from .nytimes.com