LONDON — Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, 97, was involved in a traffic accident while driving on Thursday near the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Buckingham Palace said. He was not hurt.

“The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon,” it said in a statement. “The Duke was not injured. The accident took place close to the Sandringham Estate.”

Local police attended the scene, the palace added.

The BBC reported that Philip was driving a Range Rover and that the vehicle landed on its side after a collision. It quoted a witness as saying the Duke was very shaken.

A palace spokeswoman later confirmed the Duke was at the wheel and that he was checked by a doctor afterwards. He did not go to hospital and was now back at Sandringham.

Philip married Elizabeth in 1947 and has been by his wife’s side throughout her long reign.

The former naval officer did not accompany the Queen to a church service on Christmas Day last month though a royal source said he was in good health.

Philip, who had successful hip replacement surgery last year, retired from public life in 2017. — Reuters