Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has reportedly surrendered his driving license after he was involved in a car accident last month.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed Saturday that "after careful consideration," the Duke of Edinburgh "has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving license."
In late January, the prince flipped his Land Rover after colliding with another vehicle on a road near Sandringham Estate. The accident left the driver of the other vehicle with cuts to her knees and a passenger with a broken wrist. The third passenger, a 9-month-old baby, in the back seat did not sustain injuries in the crash.
The incident sparked a debate with the public speculating whether the 97-year-old prince ought to be behind the wheel.
After the collision, the injured passenger, Emma Fairweather said, “There then needs to be a period of reflection on what could be done differently to prevent the same thing happening again," in an interview with ITV's "This Morning."
Philip wasn't seriously injured in the accident but motorist Roy Warne, who told TV crews he helped him out of the car, said "He didn't seem to be in pain and I think he wasn't particularly concerned, but obviously very shocked in circumstance."
The Duke of Edinburgh later wrote an apology letter to Fairweather, but two days following the accident, police issued him a warning for failing to wear a seat belt.
Prince Philip is known for enjoying his independence. While he retired from public life in 2017, he continued to drive himself around for the past two years.
“He visits old friends but it’s frustrating as you grow older to find your world is getting smaller," his friend and biographer Gyles Brandreth told BBC Radio Four’s Today program after the crash. "The independence for an old person to be able to get into their car and just go down the road is a wonderful thing.”