Prince of Wales ‘always worried’ about duke’s driving in later years

The Prince of Wales raised concerns about the Duke of Edinburgh's driving five years ago when his father was still travelling around the capital in his famous black cab.

Charles told the son of a D-Day veteran about his fears when he met the pair in France in June 2014, during commemorations marking the 70th anniversary of the Second World War offensive.

At the time Philip, who is 97, was approaching his 93rd birthday, celebrated on June 10, and would drive around the capital in relative anonymity in a black taxi.

During commemorations in the Normandy town of Bayeux the prince met Ivor Thomas, a former Corporal in the Royal Engineers from Gloucester who landed on Gold Beach on D-Day.

Philip Thomas, the son of the veteran, told Charles his father, who was at the event in a wheelchair, continued to drive and owned a 1985 Ford Sierra.

The prince replied: "So does my father. I'm always worried", before gesturing towards Mr Thomas, and asking: "But his eyesight's all right?"

The duke gave up his London black cab, fuelled by liquefied petroleum gas, a few years ago and it is now featured in the Sandringham museum.

The Queen's consort still drives himself around Sandringham and Windsor Castle and is known to prefer the Land Rover Freelander 2.

Philip has been driving Land Rovers for decades and is probably drawn to their durability, off-road capabilities and his familiarity with them.