Queen Elizabeth II has had a near-miss, after the car she was in was forced to swerve to avoid being hit by another vehicle coming towards them at speed.
The Queen was sitting in the front passenger seat of her Range Rover as it left Wood Farm – where she is staying on the Sandringham estate – and pulled out onto a quiet country road, per 9Honey.
A white Nissan Juke was driving towards them at speed – with onlookers saying it was travelling at around 50 km/h – forcing the Range Rover to swerve onto the grass to avoid a collision.
The Nissan came to a stop before driving on again.
Though no-one was injured, a witness told The Telegraph UK the road was a common spot for speedsters.
“We sometimes get cars going much faster along that road so the Queen was very lucky,” the witness said.
The near-miss occurred at around 10.30am on Thursday, April 21, the same day she turned 96.
Her birthday was celebrated with family and friends at Wood Farm, the cottage which was much loved by her late husband Prince Philip.
The Queen’s family also took to social media to share sweet messages celebrating her milestone, accompanied by plenty of photos.
“Happy 96th Birthday Granny!” Princess Eugenie wrote on Instagram.
“You have been such an inspiration to me and so many across the world. Thank you for your support, love and strength. Xx.”
Prince Charles and Camilla wished the monarch “a particularly special 96th birthday” as “we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee this year”, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hailed her as “an inspiration” to many in “the UK, the Commonwealth and the world”.
To see a special gallery of photos from the monarch’s life, click here.
Image: Getty Images
This article first appeared on OverSixty.