Duchess of Edinburgh ‘deeply saddened’ by death of woman hit by her motorcade
© HANDOUT Helen Holland's family said she was aThe Duchess of Edinburgh was “deeply saddened” to learn of the death of a great grandmother hit by her police outrider, Buckingham Palace has said.
Helen Holland, 81, died on Tuesday, two weeks after she was “flung 40ft” by the motorcycle as she crossed a road in West London.
The Duchess is understood to be making contact with Ms Holland’s family privately.
A 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.”
The Metropolitan Police said an outrider collided with the Ms Holland at the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road on May 10.
Ms Holland's family said in a statement released late on Tuesday that she fought “for her life for nearly two weeks... but irreversible damage to her brain finally ended the battle today”.
© Provided by The Telegraph Helen Holland was struck at the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road - JAMIE LORRIMAN
The Duchess is not believed to have witnessed the incident and her vehicle was not involved.
She said after the crash that her “thoughts and prayers” were with Ms Holland.
The Duchess is thought to have been en route to Windsor Castle, where she attended Evensong.
The incident, which happened a few days after the King's Coronation, is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Announcing her death, Ms Holland’s son, Martin, said his mother had died after “suffering multiple broken bones and massive internal injuries” while using the “safe route of [a] pedestrian crossing”.
© Provided by The Telegraph The Duchess of Edinburgh is thought to have been en route to Windsor Castle - REUTERS
On the day of the incident, Martin Hennessy, 62, told MailOnline: “This was an accident waiting to happen. The screens had been put up for the Coronation, but it meant that you had to step out a bit into the road to see any traffic.”
He added: “I was there soon after it happened and it was carnage. The poor lady was flung about 40ft along the road and paramedics were attending to her. She stepped out a bit to peer around the screens and was hit.”
The IOPC has said it will review CCTV and police body camera footage, and urged other witnesses to come forward.
Ms Holland had been in London visiting her sister at the time of the crash.
© Provided by The Telegraph Helen Holland was in a critical condition in hospital for two weeks - HANDOUT
A few days after the collision, Ms Holland's family told Sky News that she was a “beautiful, loving, kind and caring lady who would always put anyone before herself”.
They had said that the mother of four, grandmother of 10, and great-grandmother of seven, from Birchanger in Essex, was a “well-respected and popular member of the community”.
“Helen may be 81 but she is sprightly for her age and nothing stopped her living life to the full, spending precious time with her family, muddy walks with the dogs and lunches with friends is what she enjoyed most.”
A previous statement from Buckingham Palace said: "The duchess's heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.
"She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments."
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