Police speak to Philip for not wearing seatbelt

Land Rover Freelander Image copyright Geoff Robinson
Image caption The new Land Rover Freelander being driven on Saturday

Norfolk Police say they have spoken to the Duke of Edinburgh after he was pictured driving without a seatbelt, 48 hours after being involved in a crash near Sandringham in Norfolk.

A spokeswoman said "suitable words of advice have been given to the driver".

Meanwhile, Emma Fairweather, who broke her wrist in the crash, has told the Mirror the duke has not apologised.

A Palace spokesman said contact had been made with the occupants of the car to exchange "well-wishes".

The crash in Sandringham, in which Prince Philip's Land Rover landed on its side, happened on Thursday,

Two days later, pictures in the Daily Mail and The Sun appeared to show the duke, 97, driving alone on the Sandringham estate in a new Land Rover without a seatbelt.

A spokeswoman for the Norfolk Constabulary said the force was aware of the photographs and had spoken to the driver.

"This is in line with our standard response when being made aware of such images showing this type of offence," she said.

Image copyright Archant
Image caption Damage to the Land Rover's left side could be seen after Thursday's crash

Ms Fairweather told the Sunday Mirror that "I'm lucky to be alive and he hasn't even said sorry".

"It has been such a traumatic and painful time and I would have expected more of the Royal Family," she added.

She said she had not heard from the royal household but had got a call from a police family liaison officer.

"The message he passed on didn't even make sense. He said, 'The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh would like to be remembered to you,'" she said.

"That's not an apology or even a well-wish."