The woman who broke her wrist in a car crash involving Prince Philip believes “absolutely” that the 97-year-old Duke of Edinburg should face prosecution for the accident if found to be at fault.
Emma Fairweather (45), who was travelling with a female friend and a nine-month-old baby, was injured when the Kia they were travelling in was hit by a Land Rover Freelander being driven by the duke near Sandringham on Thursday.
Prince Philip escaped the crash without injury, while Fairweather broke her wrist and required hospital treatment for their injuries. The baby miraculously escaped unhurt.
Asked if she believed Prince Philip should face prosecution if found to be liable, she replied “absolutely”.
“There needs to be a decision as to whether Prince Philip and I are from the same walk of life here or not. We either both receive the same treatment or we don’t. I just feel that his experience probably hasn’t been the same as mine,” Ms. Fairweather told British TV channel ITV.
She said the photographs of the Prince driving on a public road on Saturday near Sandringham in his replacement Land Rover Freelander without his seatbelt had left her feeling “upset, very upset”.
Ms. Fairweather said she had received a message from the Queen’s lady-in-waiting after the crash but was yet to hear personally from the duke four days after the crash.
The mother-of-two said she had hoped for “an acknowledgment” and “not so much any admission of responsibility”.
The aftermath of the crash has been “difficult”, Ms. Fairweather she said, adding that she felt she had lacked support.
Buckingham Palace said on Friday that both women had been contacted and “well wishes” had been exchanged, The Guardian reported.
It is understood palace officials contacted the women via a police liaison officer on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, other attempts — eventually successful — were made to contact the women by senior members of the royal household staff, though not by any members of the royal family, it said.
Norfolk police have said “the incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken”.
Thursday’s crash happened a day before Norfolk councillors agreed to cut the speed limit on the busy A149, where there have been five deaths in six years.
The speed limit will be dropped from 60mph to 50mph and average speed cameras will be installed, British media reported.
