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After injuring two people last month, Prince Phillip has surrendered his driver's licence.

 

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After injuring two people in a car accident mid-January, Prince Philip has surrendered his licence, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.

The 97-year-old monarch was driving a Land Rover near the royal’s Sandringham Estate on January 17, when he crashed into a Kia belonging to 28-year-old, Ellie Townsend.

Ellie’s friend, Emma Fairweather, was also in the vehicle along with Ellie’s nine-month-old son.

While nobody was majorly injured, the royal was seen back behind the wheel a few days after the accident (without his seatbelt on, no less), causing international criticism and concerns over Prince Philip’s driving capacity.

Daily Mail reporter and longtime royal correspondent, Rebecca English, shared the news on Twitter, stating that HRH has “voluntarily” surrendered his licence.

“The Duke of Edinburgh has surrendered his driving licence following last month’s crash. [Buckingham Palace] says: ‘After careful consideration The Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence,’” she wrote.

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In Australia, the laws around people driving over a certain age differ from state to state.

In NSW drivers over the age of 75 must complete a medical assessment every year in order to keep their licence, while drivers over 85 years of age, must have a yearly medical assessment and pass an on-road driving assessment every two years. A similar assessment process is also observed in Queensland and the ACT.

In Western Australia, drivers don’t need to complete a medical assessment unless they want to continue driving at 80, while Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australian drivers face no age restrictions at all.