Duke suffers 'minor' ankle injury in driving accident

Prince Philip was hurt but did not need hospital treatment when his carriage hit a tree stump on the Windsor estate yesterday morning, Buckingham Palace said.

The spokeswoman said the accident occurred as a result of ponies leading the carriage "running away".

"The Duke has a minor injury to his ankle and did not need hospital treatment. He has been out and about as normal this afternoon.

"The female groom who was with the Duke has been to hospital for diagnosis for an injury to her elbow. The ponies pulling the carriage were recovered unharmed."

The Duke, 88, was forced to miss engagements last year because of a back injury sustained while driving a horse and carriage.

Earlier this month, the Duchess of Cornwall broke her left leg while hillwalking in Scotland. Camilla suffered a twisted fracture of her left fibula when she slipped.

A spokeswoman for the palace was unable to say which ankle the Duke had hurt.

The Palace statement said: "The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in an accident this morning whilst out carriage driving on the Windsor Estate when his carriage hit a tree stump as a result of the ponies running away."

The Duke has suffered several sports-related ailments and injuries.

He suffered arthritis in his right wrist from playing polo and tried to dull the pain with Butazolodin, a drug more usually given to lame horses and recommended by his head groom.

In 1961, he broke a bone in his left ankle in a collision on the polo field and in 1963, again playing polo, he suffered a gash to his left arm which needed three stitches.