Just days after the coronation, the Duchess of Edinburgh was traveling through London with her police motorcade. They were driving like a bat out of hell, speeding down a road close to Kensington Palace. One of the police motorcyclists struck an elderly woman at high speed, and she was thrown yards away from the impact. An ambulance was called and the woman, Helen Holland, was immediately hospitalized. Her family told the media that she was in a coma. No one said anything about whether Sophie’s car had even stopped to check on the woman, and there was no word on whether Sophie went to the hospital or met with the family. Well, two weeks after impact, Helen Holland passed away.
An elderly woman who was hit by a police motorcycle escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh has died. Helen Holland had been in hospital in critical condition since she was hit on the afternoon of 10 May in west London.
In comments reported by the BBC, Ms Holland’s son Martin said she died after suffering “multiple broken bones and massive internal injuries”.
He said she fought “for her life for nearly two weeks… but irreversible damage to her brain finally ended the battle today”. She had been using the “safe route of [a] pedestrian crossing” when she was struck by the motorcycle, he added.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, had said after the crash that her “thoughts and prayers” were with Ms Holland, with Buckingham Palace adding that she would “keep abreast of developments”.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “The Duchess of Edinburgh is deeply saddened to hear that Helen Holland has passed away. Her Royal Highness’s deepest condolences and sympathies go to all of Ms Holland’s family.”
This is why you don’t go to a horse show the day after your police motorcade hits a grandmother at high speed. This is why you make an effort to not look so jazzed and smug right after your security put an elderly woman in a coma. Again, consider how any of this would be reported if it had been Harry and Meghan’s security. While I get that there could be liability issues after this kind of incident, issues about Sophie personally apologizing, especially when there’s some kind of internal police review… questions still remain, and Sophie still looks icy and uncaring. Questions also remain about where the hell Sophie was going, why she would have needed a high-speed police escort, and why she needs this kind of police protection at all.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Image.
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – The Prince and Princess of Wales and The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh attend a Garden Party in celebration of the coronation at Buckingham Palace. Pictured: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh BACKGRID USA 9 MAY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh watches competitors parade in the Riding for the Disabled Fancy Dress Competition in the Copper Horse arena on day 2 of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 12 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh watches competitors parade in the Riding for the Disabled Fancy Dress Competition in the Copper Horse arena on day 2 of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 12 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh watches competitors parade in the Riding for the Disabled Fancy Dress Competition in the Copper Horse arena on day 2 of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 12 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh watches competitors parade in the Riding for the Disabled Fancy Dress Competition in the Copper Horse arena on day 2 of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 12 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duchess of Edinburgh watches competitors parade in the Riding for the Disabled Fancy Dress Competition in the Copper Horse arena during the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 12 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
The Royal Family is a menace to society. May they pay for their crimes.
My condolences to Helen Holland’s family.
It had been a while since the vampiric family have relished a blood sacrifice. So invigorating for their kind…
These useless people need to get jobs and wasting the tax payers money .
Disgusting. Who the heck does she even need to be protected from, let alone at a high speed? So gross and entitled and her grinning like an idiot while that woman lay broken and dying.
Do we only have their word that it was actually Sophie’s motorcade? or was it someone else’s and she’s the new scapegoat?
Was wondering the same thing. We only have their word it was Sophie. Sophie had a 5:15 function @ St. George’s Chapel. William was giving Jason Knauf a shiny medal earlier in the day at Windsor Castle. He would definitely be traveling with a motorcade. Wouldn’t want people to start wondering why William was going into London when Adelaide Cottage is so close to WC. Just speculating. What if they’re lying to protect someone else?
Sophie needing a motorcade doesn’t make sense.
My understanding is the motorcade didn’t even stop. Kept zipping along. Whichever royal it was. Callous behavior by the BRF.
I did try to figure out what Sophie’s official engagement was and could not. I did not look up other family members.
Technically, the police escorts are not supposed to be speeding and they are responsible for the public’s safety. Considering Rishi Sunak’s motorcade led to complaints in April, Harry is suing for security, Sadiq Khan is lowering speed limits, and there were a bunch of accidents where Helen Holland was hit, I think that the RF won’t be able to bury this. Plus, poor Helen died.
That’s a great question. I’m so sorry that Helen Holland had to endure such a painful death. Her family must be so devastated.
I’m really disturbed by reports the motorcade never even stopped. The entire BRF looks so callous here and Sophie looked hellah smug the next day at the horse show. Just gross. I’d have been a complete mess. Goes to show you they think absolutely nothing of their subjects – not surprising given how they treat their own family.
ML, it wasn’t listed under her individual name. It was under all members. St. George’s had the time listed in their events section.
https://www.royal.uk/media-centre/court-circulars
AGreatReckoning, what I clumsily meant to say is that I tried to figure out where Sophie was, but didn’t pay attention to the others. It honestly didn’t dawn on me that someone else could have been returning from an event at that time, and it might make sense to look up all of the events. I do find the court circular a bit less than transparent though.
Why does she need a motorcade and high-speed motorcycle escort? Was she on official business? This whole family makes me sick.
Even if it was official business, WTF do any of the “working royals” do that could be remotely classified as urgent? See also: The Wails were late to the Chubbly, with an entire city shut down so they had the road to themselves.
And this is they type of catastrophic event Harry and Meghan were talking about. They were/are absolutely right. If this were them every royal reporter and right wing pundit would be harassing them and their team.
Since it’s Sophie no one cares because most people have no idea who she is.
The Sussexes were correct in saying near-catastrophic. It wasn’t hyperbole. Motorcycles were chasing them and driving on sidewalks. Again, so sorry for this woman and her family.
Yes they were..this happened a few weeks ago and instead of journalists actually doing their job and tying these things together we got opinion pieces gaslighting Harry and Meghan.
Oh, they know who she is, which is the white, undivorced daughter of a tyre sales person, married to a lesser Royal. A woman who will happily play the game, scheming with the rest of them, all the while keeping their vile secrets.
Knowing who she is and caring enough to muckrake about her are two very different things.
Jais – The Sussexes were correct in calling the chase near-catastrophic. In fact I’m suspicious that some of the chase crew may have been sent by BRFCo as a distraction from just this. The lady’s prognosis was quite poor. BRFCo could predict death, but couldn’t pinpoint exact time of death, so they still thought to use The Spare™️ and his wife as distraction.
Also no one cares because Sophie toes the royal line like a good little girl. The British media see her as being on the “right” side, unlike H&M.
I’m very sorry for Helen Holland and her family. May she rest in peace.
With the emphasis on right(ist conservative PoS).
Exactly, let’s not write about her dodgy past, let’s not talk about her cash for access, or her callousness going of to a horse show the day after this tragic incident. Let’s just say Harry and Megan are making things up and exaggerating. FFS the Royal family need to GO and go now
Is Charles footing the bill for motorcade for Sophie
Suddenly there was money available. It’s a miracle, the Windsors must have found some loose change in the cushions.
😃
Or in some overstuffed Fortnum & Mason bags
It’s a bad look to be running over the very people you leech off of. At what point does the UK taxpayer wake up and start making noise to get rid of these grifters?
That is really sad, but expected, 81 year olds don’t recover from being launched 20 feet in the air and landing on asphalt, almost no one does.
Will there be a policy inquiry now or will her death be written off as the cost of royalty needing to be at an equestrian event without having to stop for traffic on the way?
If I am not mistaken Princess Anne does not have security unless she is on official duty. How is it Sophie has police escort when it is reported that she did not have any official function at that time.
There’s not been a lot of clarity. I think(?) she had an event late that afternoon but this was hours before then so why was her security riding through the streets? Bc yes security only for work events to my understanding.
Because it is obviously a lie told to you by the BM, like all their other lies. She was out with security and a motorcade and there was NO official function.
or…it wasn’t her motorcade but another Royal’s…
@TheHench – @agreatreckoning also brings this up. Is Sophie agreeing to be William’s scapegoat? How long will that last?
Like Harry, I doubt whoever the current scapegoat is was asked, they were informed.
@Christine – good point. Just like Harry was informed Big Blue was William’s to give to Kate.
I think it was another senior royal and Sophie has agreed to be the ‘fall guy’.
My heartfelt condolences to Martin and the rest of Helen Holland’s family and friends. This was really sad to read about, a sad, needless accident. I hope that her death leads to much needed changes and safety regulations in London.
It’s very sad and that is a good thing to hope for.
The lack of transparency around this whole story is wild. No-one is willing to just do some straight reporting as to what Sophie’s engagement was that day?
Or if there was no engagement, to clarify that it’s commonplace for the royals to travel with police escorts and what this consists of?
Can’t wait to see what Twitter comes up with.
There does not appear to be reporting in the UK anymore. If you don’t fawn over the racist grifters you don’t have a job apparently.
If this had happened to the Sussexes in NY, this would have been investigated and analyzed to death, they would have been blamed for daring to leave the house to collect an award, been labeled a public menace and sued for millions.
As for Sophie and her motorcade. Why were they speeding? Where was she going that her motorcade needed to drive so recklessly to get there? I also read that the reason why the elderly woman couldn’t see them coming was because the black barriers put up for the Coronation put up to block protesters, so Charles’ delicate little fee-fees wouldn’t be hurt on his big day, we’re still there. She couldn’t see the oncoming traffic while crossing the street.
Yup it’s so frustrating. Anyone who dares go against the establishment is ostracized and out of work. That’s why they all eventually tow the line.
condolences to her family. What an awful thing to happen.
And yes, this absolutely should raise questions about how the motorcades travel and why they are necessary for someone like Sophie. Was she even on her way to or from an official engagement? do all royals travel in motorcades like this? Does the duchess of gloucester?
So sorry for this woman’s family.
Yes. My heart felt condolences to Ms. Hollands family, loved ones and friends.
May Ms. Holland RIP 💔
This is awful. It hits a bit close to home since my father died this Thursday. He got a very peaceful death but I’m still a mess. I cannot imagine how horrible it is for Ms. Holland’s family that she died because of such a violent and needless accident.
I’m so sorry Arthistorian. I lost my father suddenly in March, so I understand what you’re feeling. I would be outraged if I were the Holland family as well. The grief is a gut punch for sure, but time does allow for healing. I still have bouts of sadness, and I just roll with them, allow myself to feel them. There will come a time when I can think of my dad and smile at the wonderful memories. I’m not there yet, but I’ll get there. And you’ll get there, too. Thinking of you.
My deepest condolences to you and your family, ArtHistorian.
So sorry about your father @arthistorian
My heartfelt condolences @Arthistorian.
My condolences, too, to Ms. Holland’s family — and to you, ArtHistorian.
Losing a parent is heartbreaking.
I hate that this story will be buried because it’s Sophie. They won’t talk about it because everyone will be “Sophie who?” We all know if this was Harry and Meghan the press would write thousands of articles saying they need to be jailed.
Why does Sophie have a police escort? No one knows or cares who she is. I really dislike Sophie. She comes across as cold and just mean.
I saw it mentioned on Twitter yesterday that in (I think) 2019, one of WanK’s security detail also hit an elderly woman, breaking her arms and hip, and she also passed away. Of course because they get a pass from the rats, her death wasn’t really covered.
They did, but the press covered it up with faux-rage on Meghan going to watch the tennis. It was when meghans security stopped a guy pointing a camera up in her face. The media was outraged, but didn’t seemed to mind willie and Keens security nearly killing someone.
I do find it very concerning that there has now been two people run down by royal motorcades. As the saying goes: Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three is a pattern.
It’s chilling that KC3 could solve Harry’s security issues in the UK with a phone call. But Sophie gets a high speed police escort for personal errands. The King is a monster.
A lot of the questions being raised about this event tie in to Prince Harry’s security lawsuit, RAVEC is responsible for deciding who gets security when
The evidence is being laid out for them, in real time, right under their noses. I fear Harry is fighting a losing battle. It does not reflect well on the various institutions but my god Harry is shining the light on all of it
I’m so sorry for this woman and her family. I would hope Sophie would contact them in private. If it was Sophie in the motorcade. Because this already seems fishy. Maybe it was Sophie because part of her royal duties is to take the fall for someone more senior who hates traffic and is very impatient so uses the police to get places faster. In exchange, Sophie will get a ribbon or a vacation or a royal bauble. Pretty sure this is the last we’ll hear of this story.
Mmm this makes me wonder if it was really Sophie if she didn’t have any appointments, is she being thrown under the bus to protect someone else. And iwhy didnt she at least visit the lady in hospital RIP Helen.
I don’t know. This situation doesn’t really strike me as Sophie being “thrown under the bus” it’s more like she gladly and graciously accepted an invitation to occupy the vacant space under the bus for which she’ll be amply rewarded at a later date. Nothing to see here, thanks.
Or is it gratefulness and payback for the long-awaited duchy of Edinburgh?
At this point in time, the question might as well be: whose mistress was being so precipitously rushed back that the police blatantly disregarded basis safety rules?
That bloody family is really building a black legend of car curse around themselves. How many more people will be sacrificed on their behalf ?
This is sad and infuriating. The lack of coverage elsewhere is galling. I despise everything the monarchy represents, it isn’t innocuous, but a major barrier to equality. This still-active woman was stolen from her life that mattered and from her family. The monarchy is a useless institution.
This is a terrible situation and my deepest condolences go to this poor woman’s family. It just highlights what is so wrong and corrupt with this family and institution.
Sophie hasn’t given a statement to the police as far as I’ve seen. That raises my suspicions too. She’s married to the 13th in line to the throne so why the security if she’s not going to an event?
Terribly sad news.
Am I the only one annoyed to read the press reports of the 81yr old lady dismissively as ‘an elderly woman’ ? She was by all accounts young for her age in excellent health and fully engaged with life family & friends. I feel it is an attempt to transfer the blame to an ‘elderly’ person when it was a total fail by the police officer! So angry.
This must be the catalyst for Charles & the Prime Minister to cease – with immediate effect – police road-clearing for all royals apart from the King’s car. Please.
Agreed! The RR’s made her out to be a frail, unbalanced woman that had to right nor reason to be walking on the streets in Britain for her age, yet alone crossing the street as an elderly woman. They are all placing the blame on Ms. Holland which is the RR and BP whitewashing her frailty as an excuse.
#AbolishTheMonarchy
Yep. What the heck was she doing walking around outside? (heavy sarcasm)
@Unblinkered and @Both Sides Now you both nailed it. This is so vile. All of this is beyond the pale.
Same devaluation of elderly lives that we saw in early Covid.
There needs to be a public inquiry into this death and Sophie’s use of a motorcade when she had no obvious engagement.
This is literally the opening of “Tale of Two Cities” and leads to the French Revolution. Except it’s a child, not an elderly woman. Forgive me if someone else said that already.
Tale of Two Cities of course. Whether the victim was young or old doesn’t matter . Nobody ought to be killed on the street ..poor Helen , may she rest in peace.
Except Sophie didn’t even throw gold at Helen’s survivors in fake recompense. Never thought Dickens’s Marquis could ever come out looking good by comparison….
There is no need for her to have a motorcade to begin with. Security in her car and perhaps one other, and maybe unmarked police too, but beyond that, ridiculous.
There is no need for a motorcade like that to be high speed, unless actively trying to evade a security threat.
Everyone involved in this needs to be investigated.
Pretty sure Sophie is not trying to evade security threats, but rather, just make good time in traffic. And so an innocent woman was killed.
And how much do you want to bet that she STILL won’t visit the family in person? All they will get from her is that dusty a$$ statement.
The victim’s family can expect to received a framed photo of Edward and Sophie in the mail. That should more than make up for losing their loved one.
“The victim’s family can expect to received a framed photo of Edward and Sophie in the mail.” Crass statement, but probably true. Framed photos of the monarch is what the visiting royals take to Caribbean Commonwealth tours.
Why does Sophie need any motorcade or escort? Nobody’d notice or care if she drove herself around to do errands. She isn’t sufficiently bejeweled or important enough to be worth grabbing, even if anyone recognized her when she’s in dressed-down mode.
Just wear a babushka & go without a motorcade, Sophie.
This whole story was shrouded in mystery from the jump. Why was Sophie’s police escort speeding? Why did she have a police escort if she wasn’t at an event for the Firm that day? Did they stop to help the victim? Why did she think it was a good look to go to a horse show looking unbothered the next day because, if she did check on Helen, Sophie and her people would know she was in a coma and therefore know she shouldn’t be smiling at a horse show right? Anyway, most importantly, I am very sorry for Helen and her family.
It was at its core a hit & run. Why is there no investigation?
that first photo showcases her awful rhinoplasty. She has great bone structure, you can see what her nose SHOULD look like. she ruined her face, sadly.
Remember a couple of years ago when willie and Kate’s security ran over an old lady and left her in a critical condition? It was the same week meghan went to the tennis and the world went mad because her security stoped a guy shoving a camera in her face. Anyway the press did a nice job burying that story. The Keens didn’t even need to bother with a photo op by this old ladies bedside to pretend they care. No idea what happened to her.
Other people on the internet have said that women died as well
Chuck runs the family like a mob boss. No doubt the DOE title came with strings attached, probably a favor or multiple favors to be named later. This is probably one of the favors. Who is Sophie taking the fall for – Peggy, Cowmilla, or Chuck himself?
This is horrible. How god awful for this poor woman’s family.
Yes, sophie will be protected because she protects the flamin, eddie! There I said it. How do you think they have everything they have after their scandals? Bankruptcies, pay for access. In my opinion she is not playing her cards hard enough!
Why don’t we know where Sophie was actually going that required a motorcade? Was she late for returning for a Windsor engagement and had to leave London in a hurry?
Condolences to Helen Holland’s friends and loved ones. May her memory be a blessing.
May I add my name to this comment??
@Well Wisher, yes please.
Maybe she was speeding to Eddie’s bedside, because that man doesn’t look well.
Not that there’s any plausible justification for this. It’s terrible. RAVEC should do an inquiry into why Sophie has a motorcade at all, but it’s too busy depriving Harry of actually necessary security.
Imagine not only how the press would have reacted had this been Meghan’s motorcade (it would be DEFCON1), but how Meghan would have reacted — with compassion and care, like an actual human being. Instead, Sophie gallivanted off to a horse show.
According to the Court Circular on May 10th:
“The Duchess of Edinburgh, Patron, Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust, this afternoon attended Evensong at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.”
So maybe she was doing something in London–buying a Laura Ingalls frock, perhaps–and ordered the speed patrol to get her to Evensong. If her singers from Wells wanted her to be there, she should have planned her day accordingly. A thorough and truthful investigation is in order.
There not going to be any real reporting on this issue Sophie is married to the forgot son no one even know who she is. She so plainly looking and boring there was no need for her to have a motorcycle police I think she wasn’t going to any official royal event she missed used her security and cause this woman who now dead because of Sophie . Now the spin is she was elderly as if that makes what happen is ok she was someone mother and grandmother the royals are cold unkind people who think only they have the right to live until there while in their 90s as if they are they only people with a family .
I hate how the elderly are considered throwaways in today’s society, and their death is negligible.
“In comments reported by the BBC, Ms Holland’s son Martin said she died after suffering “multiple broken bones and massive internal injuries”.
He said she fought “for her life for nearly two weeks… but irreversible damage to her brain finally ended the battle today”. She had been using the “safe route of [a] pedestrian crossing” when she was struck by the motorcycle, he added.”
I cannot imagine being one of the family members. Ms. Holland was massively injured. I hope she was in a coma the entire time and was not in pain. My sincere condolences to the Holland family.
I hope the family gets the information they need to understand how a police motorcyclist was able to kill someone they loved. I know if I was a member of the family, I would want questions answered.
Was it Sophie in the car, has anyone verified this ? She doesnt appear to be callous and cold. If it was Khate in the car, the callousness and lack of empathy would be believable. Perhaps Sophie is being thrown to the wolves, Khate has zero tolerance for anyone who is capable. It seems that Sophie is good with people and on Royal visits she seems to be well liked. Khate it seems, endears herself to no one, she comes across as far too superior to be friendly. I have never seen a story that says what a nice person she is or how friendly she is with anyone. Khate the ice princess tolerates nothing that does not focus on herself, attention seeking at all costs and excluding everyone else, including C & C.
If this happened where I lived where a police escort hit any pedestrian and that person died, it would have been investigated and on the local news. In this case, it should be bigger news as it wasn’t just a regular motorcade but involved a royal motorcade which I assumed is paid by taxpayers. Why this isn’t the headlines in the UK in their OWN backyard is beyond me. But instead they have stories about Harry and Meghan who are thousands of miles away. Makes you wonder what else the BP and BRF is covering up.