Prince William and Kate Middleton ‘deeply saddened’ over motorbike crash

published 18 June 2019

A woman in her eighties was hit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s motorcycle convoy in Richmond on Monday.

83-year-old Irene Mayor was taken to hospital in 'critical condition' after colliding with a marked police motorcycle on Upper Richmond Road. The bike was part of a convoy that was accompanying William and Kate to Windsor for the Order of the Garter service.

A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is currently investigating the crash, reported that the woman sustained ‘serious injuries’ as a result of the accident, but is now in a ‘stable’ condition.

IOPC staff who attended the scene have launched an independent investigation into the circumstances of the incident, which is currently in its very early stages. "The officer involved is assisting our enquiries as a witness," their spokesperson revealed.

The incident comes just days after the news that the Queen’s cousin Edward, Duke of Kent, could face charges after being involved in a ‘terrifying’ crash on the A27 earlier this month.

Mrs Mayor reportedly landed awkwardly after being thrown into the air by the motorbike, sustaining a broken pelvis along with other injuries. The officer on the bike is said to have been driving on the wrong side of the road while clearing traffic when the incident occurred.

"She’s got lots of injuries," Irene's daughter Fiona told The Sun. "They are just keeping her stable at the moment."

MORE: Why didn’t the Duchess of Cambridge curtsy to Queen Letizia at Order of the Garter?

She was visited by a member of William and Kate’s staff on Tuesday, and is expected to receive a visit from their Royal Highnesses themselves as soon as she’s up to it.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were deeply concerned and saddened to hear about the accident on Monday afternoon," said a spokesperson for Kensington Palace.

"Their Royal Highnesses have sent their very best wishes to Irene and her family and will stay in touch throughout every stage of her recovery."

We hope she feels better very soon.

Samantha Simmonds is a freelance journalist, content writer, copywriter, and editor based in London.

She graduated from Reading University with a First Class degree in Psychology, later achieving a Distinction in her Diploma in Fashion & Personal Styling from The London College of Style.

Samantha is currently creating digital editorial content for John Lewis, writing for The Edit's wellbeing channel. She also writes for publications including Women's Health, Top Santé, Refinery29, GoodtoKnow, Cosmopolitan, Healthy, Health & Wellbeing, woman&home, and Yahoo, and has created commercial content for brands including Berghaus, Amazon, and Regaine.