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King Charles III’s coronation was a major royal family event — one that will go down in history, and one the public hasn’t been a part of since his mother was crowned 70 years earlier. The event was an all-day soiree, with the royal ceremony beginning early in the morning and the party continuing into the wee hours of the night. Plus, Sunday’s coronation concert drew people from all over the map and included headliners like Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

However, only a few days later, a tragic accident occurred: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s royal motorcade collided with an elderly woman, leaving her in critical condition.

Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and members of the royal family attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022
Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and members of the royal family attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022 | Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

A member of Duchess Sophie’s royal motorcade struck a pedestrian on May 9

A little-talked about moment from the week following the coronation occurred when Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s motorcade was involved in a serious accident. Duchess Sophie is married to Prince Edward, who is King Charles’ younger brother (she was formerly known as Sophie, Countess of Wessex). According to Express, a Special Escort Group police bike from Sophie’s motorcade was on escort duties when it struck a pedestrian. The woman, who is in her 80s, was transported to the local hospital and is reportedly in critical condition.

MailOnline reports that Buckingham Palace has spoken out about the incident, saying that Sophie’s “thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family” and that she’s thankful for first responders’ “swift response.” It doesn’t appear anyone else was injured in the accident. The crash occurred near Kensington Palace, though it’s unclear where the motorcade was going. The day before the crash, Sophie and Edward spent time with Prince William and Princess Kate when the two couples hosted a garden party.

The royal motorcade
A photo of the royal motorcade; a bike on escort duties recently hit a pedestrian, leaving her in critical condition | Wolfgang Rattay/AFP/Getty Images
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Duchess Sophie attended King Charles III’s coronation days earlier

Sophie has been out and about quite a bit this past week. The duchess first attended King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation alongside the rest of the royal family last Saturday, May 6, and then appeared alongside William and Kate to host the garden party.

Royal motorcades are often used to escort royals, so it’s likely that if Sophie were the one being escorted, she was either coming from or going to some sort of royal-based event. Sophie is a working royal, so it’s not unusual for her to be escorted by the royal family’s lengthy fleet of cars. It’s unclear if an update on the elderly woman’s condition will be provided.

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