The Duke of Norfolk is accused of using his phone while driving through London
(Picture: PA)England’s most senior peer and a close aide to The Queen is being prosecuted for allegedly driving through London while using his mobile phone.
The 18th Duke of Norfolk was pulled over by a police officer while at the wheel of a BMW in Battersea, after being suspected of driving through a red traffic light.
The peer, 65, is accused of not concentrating on the road and is said to have admitted using his phone to contact his wife.
The Duke, who also holds the title Earl of Arundel, oversees and advises Buckingham Palace on major ceremonial events, and played an instrumental organising role in last week’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
He is a member of the House of Lords, and was awarded the Royal Victorian Order Knight of Grand Cross (GCVO) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.
The Duke’s senior position means he is the man the Royal Family turn to when coronations and state funerals need arranging.
He is a direct descendant of Edward III, and gave the 11th Century Arundel Castle – his family seat in West Sussex – as the contact address to when the prosecution began.
Court papers show the Duke is contesting the charge of using a handheld mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle on a road.
In a witness statement, PC Lee Hamilton said he was on duty in Battersea Park Road, near to Albert Bridge, at 4.13pm on April 7 when the Duke’s blue BMW “cut through from the left, going through what I believe to be a red light”, adding that he could not see the traffic lights clearly.
“I could see the driver was looking down, not paying attention to the road,” said the officer.
“As we pulled up beside the vehicle, I could see the driver operating the phone in his hand. There is video evidence relating to this incident.”
The officer said he saw the Duke “operating” a phone in his right hand, adding that he “confirmed the communication was to his wife”.
Lawyers for the Duke wrote to the court to plead not guilty to the offence, with a note from the peer which reads: “I currently put the prosecution to proof and will be reviewing whether to provide a defence statement once the Crown has served the case in full, including bodyworn footage.”
The Duke’s case was initially dealt with through the Single Justice Procedure, behind closed doors, on May 24, when it was adjourned for an open court trial at Lavender Hill magistrates court on August 4.
Lawyers at Martin Cray and Co have been instructed to act for Duke in the criminal proceedings. They did not respond to a request for comment.
