The Queen has intervened following Prince Philip’s car smash that landed two women and a nine-month-old baby in hospital.
The 92-year-old monarch instructed a trusted lady-in-waiting to personally contact passengers of the car involved in the collision, after complaints that the Duke of Edinburgh had not apologised.
Palace sources confirmed attempts to call them were not made until Saturday evening, at least 48 hours after the crash.
Mary Morrison phoned victim Emma Fairweather – who broke her wrist in the smash – to deliver the monarch’s “warmest good wishes following the accident”.
But there was still no message from Philip.
Emma revealed Miss Morrison, 81, who has served the Queen since 1960, left her a voice mail message, which said: “Hello, I’m ringing from Sandringham House.
“The Queen has asked me to telephone you to pass on her warmest good wishes following the accident and Her Majesty is very eager to know how you are and hope that everything is going as well as can be expected.
“We’re all thinking of you very much at Sandringham.”
A senior palace source said: “It is of huge significance the Queen chose Mary Morrision to make the contact. Mary is a close friend of the Queen and Her Majesty values her counsel immensely.
“They are very close and no doubt the Queen would have discussed her concerns over the way this episode has played out.”
Emma, who turned 46 yesterday, said she had felt “ignored and rejected” by the royals before receiving the Queen’s message.
But she insisted Philip should have taken responsibility to contact her to check she was OK. She added: “While it’s nice the Queen has now seen that it may be appropriate to ask one of her staff to contact me and wish me well, she wasn’t involved in the accident and I’m still quite surprised that Prince Philip hasn’t felt he wants to contact me and inquire as to how I am.
“Receiving a message from someone else’s partner who wasn’t involved in the accident is confusing.”
Emma and her friend, 28, who was driving, both required hospital treatment following the crash on the A149 in Sandringham, Norfolk, at 3pm on Thursday. The driver’s baby son was also checked over at hospital and given the all-clear.
Philip was also given the all-clear and was pictured back at the wheel without a seatbelt on a public road in another Land Rover on Saturday.
Despite police “offering words of advice” which were “considered a warning”, they did not go and see him in person and instead called the royal house.
Close family, including Prince Charles, have also discussed their “worry” over Philip’s actions.
Police are continuing to investigate the crash.
