Prince Philip Is Sorry About That Car Crash

It’s pretty common legal advice not to apologize after a car wreck (at least in America), since it might allow insurance adjusters to assign blame. But either that advice doesn’t apply to Prince Philip or he says to hell with all that.

Emma Fairweather broke her wrist when the Duke of Edinburgh hit the minivan she was a passenger in with his armor-plated Land Rover at an intersection near Sandringham House. Six days after the crash, she received a letter from Prince Philip saying he’s “deeply sorry” about both the broken wrist and his part in the accident.

However, the note also seems to take issue with all the criticism he’s received for continuing to drive at 97:

“It was a bright sunny day,” the note reads. “The sun was shining low over the main road. In normal conditions I would have no difficulty in seeing traffic coming from the Dersingham direction. But I can only imagine that I failed to see the car coming, and I am very contrite about the consequences.”

Fairweather says it was overcast that day, and two days after the crash, told The Mirror that “He hasn’t even said sorry.” Now, she says she’s “chuffed” to have gotten the letter. The apology is signed in blue pen, which Fairweather says is a nice touch:

“I thought it was really nice that he signed off as ‘Philip’ and not the formal title. I was pleasantly surprised because of the personalised nature. A lot of people said it was unrealistic that I wanted that human kindness from Prince Philip – which is what I saw this letter as.”

A nine-month old child in the minivan was unharmed, and the driver sustained cuts to her knees. Prince Philip is still driving.