LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II’s 97-year-old husband Prince Philip emerged unscathed after a vehicle he was driving was involved in a traffic accident that injured two people on Thursday, according to Buckingham Palace and police.

A palace spokeswoman told media that the duke was driving near the monarch’s Sandringham Estate when the crash occurred but declined to confirm the type of vehicle or reports that it overturned in the incident.

“The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon,” the palace said in a statement.

“The Duke was not injured. The accident took place close to the Sandringham Estate. Local police attended the scene.”

The spokeswoman said he saw a doctor “as a precaution” who confirmed he was not hurt.

Norfolk Police said officers were called to the estate, in the English county northeast of London, shortly before 3pm (1500 GMT) “following reports of a collision involving two cars”.

A spokesman added that ambulance crews also attended and two people in one of the vehicles suffered minor injuries.

The BBC reported Philip was behind the wheel of a Range Rover which flipped on its side after pulling out of a Sandringham driveway onto a main road and becoming involved in the accident.

Eyewitnesses told the British broadcaster they helped the duke out of the vehicle and he was conscious “but very, very shocked and shaken”.

An image from the accident scene published by a local radio station showed two cars by the side of the road, one on its side with a smashed windscreen and another a few yards away in bushes.

The Press Association reported a passenger in the duke’s vehicle was likely his close protection officer.

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