The Duchess of Edinburgh is praying for an elderly woman left fighting for her life after she was hit by a police motorcycle escorting the royal across London.

Scotland Yard were called after one of its vehicles collided with a pedestrian on the A4 at the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road, Earls Court at around 3.21pm on Wednesday.

A woman in her 80s was taken to hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

Buckingham Palace has since confirmed the collision took place while Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh was being escorted in the capital.

The palace said Sophie's "thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family".

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson added: "She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments.

"Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated."

No other injuries were reported.

Photographs captured at the scene showed a shopping bag, face mask and hand sanitiser strewn on the carriageway at the scene of the collision, which took place near a Tesco superstore.

Police said inquiries into the crash are ongoing and road closures remained in place on Wednesday.

The force said the Directorate of Professional Standards, which investigates officers' conduct, has been informed as is routine.

Alongside her husband Edward, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 58, Sophie celebrated the King's Coronation over the weekend with the couple featuring in official portraits released to celebrate the historic occasion.

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