The Duke of Edinburgh has escaped unscathed after being involved in a car crash close to the Queen’s Sandringham Estate, Buckingham Palace has said.

The 97-year-old was left “very shocked” and shaken after the Land Rover he was driving collided with a Kia.

The female driver and female passenger in the other car involved were treated in hospital.

An eyewitness told the BBC that Prince Philip walked away from the crash in Norfolk, which happened shortly before 3pm (GMT) on Thursday.

A picture shared on social media and sent to a local radio station showed at least two vehicles by the roadside close to the estate.

The picture shows police in attendance and the Land Rover on its side.  Another car is seen further away from the road.

Both drivers involved in the collision were breathalysed, as is force policy, and both provided negative readings, Norfolk Police said.

There was also a baby in the Kia, according to witness Roy Warne, 75, who told The Sun that the Land Rover “came across the A149 like a somersault. It was turning on its side over and over”.

He added: “It was frightening to see a powerful car rolling like that.

“I rushed to the other car — there was smoke coming out as if it may explode. There was a baby in the back seat screaming.”

He described how he helped Philip out of the vehicle, adding: “He stood up and was unharmed but was obviously very shocked.”

Norfolk Police would not confirm whether there was a baby in the Kia.

The force said: “Norfolk Police can confirm officers attended a collision on the A149 at Sandringham today.

“Officers were called to the scene shortly before 3pm after a Land Rover and Kia were involved in a collision.

“The male driver of the Land Rover was uninjured. The female driver of the Kia suffered cuts while the female passenger sustained an arm injury, both requiring hospital treatment.

“We can confirm both casualties from the Kia have been treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn and have since been discharged.

“The road remained open and both vehicles were recovered a short time later.

“It is force policy to breath test drivers involved in collisions. We can confirm both drivers were breath tested and provided negative readings.”

The crash happened at the Babingley crossroads on a stretch of the A149 which runs between the town of King’s Lynn and the north Norfolk coast.

It is single carriageway and has a 60mph speed limit.

A turning off the A149 to the east leads to the village of West Newton, and a private estate road to the west leads past St Felix Chapel, a British Orthodox church.

A wing mirror surrounded by shattered glass and broken plastic was left on the side of the Hunstanton-bound carriageway after the two vehicles were recovered, with tyre tracks across the verge.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman confirmed the duke was driving when the accident happened.

She added: “He saw a doctor as a precaution and the doctor confirmed he was not injured.”

Prince Philip has spent an increasing amount of time at Sandringham, a sprawling estate in Norfolk, following the announcement of his retirement from public life in 2017.

He is currently there alongside the Queen, who normally stays at the country retreat until mid-February.

The incident comes after a period of relative ill-health for the previously healthy Duke.

Philip has always been known for his active lifestyle but has, in recent years, suffered a number of health problems.

In May 2018, it was reported that the Duke suffered a fractured rib just days before the Royal wedding of his grandson Prince Harry to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

The Sun newspaper reported that Philip suffered the injury while in the bath.

That incident came just six weeks after Philip underwent a general anaesthetic for a full hip replacement at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London

He left hospital to recover at Windsor Castle nine days later.

At the time, orthopaedic surgeons spoke of the risk attached to such an operation for the then 96-year-old – but they added that the Duke’s general fitness would be more important than his age.

Sandringham: The Royals’ favourite country retreat

Sandringham House is one of two personal and private residences owned by The Royal Family, unlike the Royal palaces such as Buckingham Palace that belong to the Crown.

Located in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the house stands in a 20,000-acre estate and is Grade II listed along with its landscaped gardens, park, and woodlands.

The house first came under Royal ownership in 1862 and was a country residence for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII who passed it down to his son, King George V.

The Queen inherited Sandringham from her father in 1952 with the Duke of Edinburgh taking overall responsibility for its management.

Sandringham is one of the Royal Family’s favourite homes and it is where the Queen usually celebrates Christmas, where she is joined by many members of The Royal Family.

Traditionally they visit the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate on Christmas morning.

The Queen’s father, George VI, died at Sandringham in February 1952.