Prince Philip, 97, gives up licence after car crash

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II´s 97-year-old husband Prince Philip on Saturday surrendered his driving licence after causing a car crash that outraged the media and raised a debate about old age and driving.

Buckingham Palace said he took the decision on his own after rolling over his Land Rover last month.

"After careful consideration the Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence," Buckingham Palace said in a brief statement.

A witness told British media that Philip emerged unharmed but "shocked and shaken" from the smashup with the much smaller Kia hatchback.

Police said a nine-month-old baby who was in the back seat of Kia was uninjured. One woman in the vehicle broke her wrist and the other cut her knee.

Philip came under strong media criticism for failing to quickly and publically apologise for causing the accident.

The same witness said Philip had told police he was "blinded by the sun" when he turned onto the road without seeing the oncoming car.

The critics were out again when Philip was photographed two days later driving a replacement Range Rover without a seatbelt.

Philip retired from public life in 2017 and underwent a hip replacement operation last April.

He is famous in Britain for his forthright manner and his love for speed.

The royal family website says the duke "learned to fly all type of aircraft" after passing a Royal Air Force test in 1953.