The story continues. The woman who was injured in a car accident when Prince Philip’s SUV hit her Kia last month in Sandringham, England, is set to undergo surgery.
The Daily Mail reported on Sunday, February 3, that 46-year-old Emma Fairweather will need to have a titanium plate inserted in her wrist after it did not heal naturally following the crash in January.
“This has completely knocked me,” Fairweather told the Mail. “It feels the last three weeks of pain and recovery have been pointless as I now have to start all over again. It’s like Groundhog Day.”
Fairweather also told the outlet that she wants Philip, 97, “to know the full effect this is having on my life,” adding, “I’ve never had surgery before and I’ll have this titanium plate for life.” The support worker — whose job has been put on hold for the next month — was in the car with two other people at the time of the incident, including a 9-month-old baby who was not injured.
Despite his car being flipped, the Duke of Edinburgh suffered no major injuries. Four days after the accident, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband attempted to rectify the damage and released a letter of apology to Fairweather.
“I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the accident at the Babingley cross-roads,” the letterhead on the note from Philip read.
“I have been across that crossing any number of times and I know very well the amount of traffic that uses that main road,” he continued. “It was a bright sunny day and at about three in the afternoon, the sun was low over the Wash. In other words, 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.”
Philip went on to note that he “was advised to return to Sandringham House by a local police officer,” after a crowd began to gather on the scene of the accident.
“I have since learned that you suffered a broken arm. I am deeply sorry about this injury,” the British royal concluded in the letter posted in full by the Sunday Mirror. “I wish you a speedy recovery from a very distressing experience. Yours sincerely, Philip.”
Philip was spotted driving without a seat belt in photos that surfaced 48 hours after the collision, and has reportedly since been warned by police about the lapse.
Fairweather told the Mirror that she was “pleasantly surprised” by the letter and that she “thought it was really nice that he signed off as ‘Philip’ and not the formal title.”
She added: “A lot of people said it was unrealistic that I wanted human kindness from Prince Philip — which is what I saw this letter as.”
