Prince Philip Officially Surrenders Driver's License Following Sandringham Car Crash

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published 10 February 2019

The Duke of Edinburgh has officially put his driving days behind him. On Saturday, news broke that Prince Philip had voluntarily surrendered his driver's license following his high-profile and controversial car crash in Sandringham last month.

The crash, which happened in mid-January, happened when Philip was driving near the Queen's country estate in Sandringham, where she and Philip traditionally stay after the Christmas holidays. Philip wasn't injured in the crash, but two other people involved did sustain minor injuries (they were treated at a local hospital, but were later discharged).

While there is no legal age limit for driving in the United Kingdom, drivers over 70 are required to renew their licenses frequently—every three years. Philip, who is 97, faced public pressure to stop driving after the incident, and now, whether as a result of the public response to the crash or not, he's decided to do just that.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace confirmed the reports, explaining that, "After careful consideration, the Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving license."

Daily Mail royal correspondent Rebecca English broke the news on Twitter, writing:

Breaking: the Duke of Edinburgh has surrendered his driving licence following last month’s crash. BP says: ‘After careful consideration The Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence.”February 9, 2019

Prince Philip, who has always been known as one of the most willful and outspoken members of the royal family, retired from public life in 2017, but still makes some appearances with Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family.

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.