Only two days after his traffic accident, Prince Philip has filed a police complaint for driving without a belt. Tabloids had posted a photo on Saturday showing the Queen's husband at the wheel of his Land Rover - apparently not wearing a seatbelt.
"We know the photos," said a police spokeswoman. "The driver was given appropriate advice." This is the usual procedure when one becomes aware of such an offense.
Prince Philip had been involved in an accident near Sandringham Castle in eastern England on Thursday. He pulled his off-road vehicle from a side street into the main street and collided with a kia. His Land Rover crashed onto the driver's side, breaking the windshield. Witnesses hoisted the 97-year-old out of the car. The 28-year-old Kia driver was briefly treated in the hospital. Her nine-month-old baby was unhurt.
The accident sparked a debate in the UK about the ability of older people to drive. In the country, the license is invalid from the age of 70, but can be renewed with a simple self-assessment test. According to official data, more than 100,000 senior citizens over the age of 90 have a driving license in the Kingdom.
Chauffeur for Barack Obama
The husband of the Queen likes to sit at the wheel. In 2016 he insisted on driving the then US Presidential couple Barack and Michelle Obama along with the Queen on the estate of Windsor Castle during their visit to the United Kingdom.
The prince had retired in 2017. In recent years, he suffered from health problems: The heart bothered him, he had bladder infections, had to be operated on the hand and got a new hip joint.