Woman dies after being hit by motorcycle in royal motorcade
A motorcycle escorting Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, hit the woman May 10.
The sister-in-law of King Charles III is speaking out after a motorcycle in her motorcade recently struck a woman, who later died.
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, who is married to Charles' brother Prince Edward, said she is "deeply saddened" by the death of Helen Holland, whose death was announced Wednesday by her family.
"The Duchess of Edinburgh is deeply saddened to hear that Helen Holland has passed away," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a statement. "Her Royal Highness's deepest condolences and sympathies go to all of Ms Holland's family."
Sophie was traveling by car in London on May 10, when a motorcycle in her motorcade struck the 81-year-old.
The palace said at the time that the vehicle in which Sophie was a passenger was not involved in the incident, and that the duchess did not witness it.
"The Duchess's heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family," the palace said in a statement at the time. "She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments. Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated."
Helen Holland's son Martin Holland told BBC News Wednesday that his mother had sustained "massive internal injuries" and "multiple broken bones" in the crash.
Helen Holland, who was visiting her sister in London at the time of the incident, was left in a coma and eventually succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday, her family told BBC News.
A police investigation into the crash is still ongoing, according to the outlet.
Sophie's motorcade crash is not a first for Britain's royal family.
In June 2019, a motorcycle in the motorcade of Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, collided with a pedestrian while the royals were being escorted from London to Windsor.
The 83-year-old pedestrian reportedly survived the crash. William and Kate were not made aware of it until they reached their destination, following protocol that royal convoys continue moving if they’ve been involved in an accident, for security reasons.
Earlier in 2019, William's grandfather, the late Prince Philip, was involved directly in a car crash when the Land Rover he was driving collided with another vehicle near Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Philip, who died in 2021 at the age of 99, was uninjured in the accident.
The driver and passenger of the other car were treated at a local hospital and discharged, police said at the time.
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