Prince Philip should face prosecution if liable, says woman injured in crash

The woman who suffered a broken wrist in a car crash involving the Duke of Edinburgh believes “absolutely” the royal should not escape prosecution if a police investigation indicates him to be at fault.

Emma Fairweather, 45, who was travelling with a female friend, 28, and a nine-month-old baby, also described Prince Philip’s decision to get back behind the wheel without a seatbelt less than 48 hours after the crash as “highly insensitive and inconsiderate”.

Photographs of Prince Philip, 97, driving on a public road on Saturday near Sandringham, Norfolk, in his replacement Land Rover Freelander without his seatbelt had left her feeling “upset, very upset,” she told ITV’s This Morning.

Not only was it inconsiderate towards her feelings, she said, but she felt there should have been a “period of reflection” to learn from accidents to prevent them happening again.

Fairweather, a support worker for care leavers, was a passenger in the Kia car being driven by her friend when the collision occurred as Philip was pulling out of a side road on to the busy A149. His armoured Land Rover Freelander “tumbled” across the road, landing on its side, while the Kia was also badly damaged.

The mother-of-two criticised Buckingham Palace’s handling of the incident, and the fact she has not heard personally from the duke four days after Thursday’s crash.

Asked on ITV’s This Morning if she believed Prince Philip should face prosecution if found to be liable, she replied: “Absolutely.”

She added: “There needs to be a decision as to whether Prince Philip and I are from the same walk of life here or not. We either both receive the same treatment or we don’t.” She added: “I just feel that his experience probably hasn’t been the same as mine.”

What she had hoped for, she said, was “an acknowledgment” and “not so much any admission of responsibility”. The aftermath of the crash had been “difficult” and she felt she had lacked support.

She had not heard directly from Prince Philip. She said that immediately following the crash, when she became aware he was the other driver, “I said, ‘where has he gone, because surely he wants to speak to me and check I’m OK?’ And somebody said that he did try but he was advised not to.

“I don’t think asking if you’re OK is accepting liability,” she continued, “but I do understand that.”

Referring to Philip reportedly saying at the scene, “I’m such a fool,” Fairweather said: “He is prepared to admit some responsibility, just not to me, but to everyone else.”

Fairweather said she had received a voicemail from one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting passing on the Queen’s good wishes.

She sustained a broken wrist and the driver suffered cuts to the knee, but the baby escaped uninjured. Philip went for hospital checks on Friday on his doctor’s advice, but was said to have no injuries of concern.

Buckingham Palace said on Friday that both women had been contacted and “well wishes” had been exchanged.

It is understood palace officials contacted the women via a police liaison officer on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, other attempts – eventually successful – were made to contact the women by senior members of the royal household staff, though not by any members of the royal family.

Norfolk police has said “the incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken”.

Fairweather said she had not yet been asked for a statement by police, and had yet to receive a full medical examination.

Buckingham Palace would not comment on the police investigation, or if Prince Philip had yet been questioned by police and asked for a statement. He passed a police eye test following the crash.