Prince Philip, 97, surrenders his driver's license after causing a car accident

97-year-old Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, Saturday issued her driver's license after provoking a car accident that scandalized the media and sparked a debate over old age and driving. Buckingham Palace said that Philip – officially known as the Duke of Edinburgh – made the decision himself after flying over his Land Rover last month.

"After careful consideration, the Duke of Edinburgh made the decision to voluntarily drive," said Buckingham Palace in a brief statement. Police in eastern England where the accident occurred in front of a royal residence said they forwarded Philip 's file to prosecutors to determine if anyone should to be charged.

"Norfolk police can confirm that the 97-year-old Rover driver involved in the collision in Sandringham (…) voluntarily surrendered his license to officers," a police statement said. "The collision investigation file has been forwarded to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)."

A spokesman for the CPS said that the service "will take this evolution into account" in its study of Philip's case. Some royal observers are seriously waiting for the duke to be punished by the police.

– [ Voluntary Will [ –

A witness told the British media that Philip had escaped unscathed but "shocked and shaken" from the collision with the much smaller Kia sedan. Police said that a nine-month-old baby in Kia's back seat had not been hurt. One woman in the vehicle broke her wrist and the other was cut to the knee

The Duke was forced to follow the usual police procedure and undergo a test of 39; breath. Police said the results "provided negative readings" for both drivers.

Philip was criticized by the media for not being excused quickly and publicly for causing the accident. The same witness stated that Philip had told the police that he was "blinded by the sun" when he had taken the road without seeing the approaching car. Two days after this accident, the Duke was photographed driving a replacement Range Rover without a seatbelt, which is illegal in Britain.

James Brookes, of Royal Central's news site, said that Philip was a "volunteer" individual who was probably not influenced by public reactions when he decided to hang up his key. "He wants to enjoy his retirement but he was very shaken by the crash," Brookes told the BBC.

But Brookes acknowledged that Philip would have been "obviously" aware of the bad press. Philip's behavior also raised the question of why he was driving again instead of being driven by his surroundings.

"There will be some surprise that the Duke is still driving on public roads," BBC correspondent Jonny Dymond wrote last month. Dymond also described Philip as "fiercely independent" who "would have resisted any suggestion to deny him the right to drive on his own".

Philip retired from public life in 2017 and had a hip replacement surgery last April. He is famous in Britain for his frankness and love of speed. The Royal Family's website indicates that the Duke learned to fly all types of aircraft after pbading a Royal Air Force test in 1953.