Sophie's sadness as grandmother hit by police outrider loses fight for life

THE Duchess of Edinburgh today spoke of her “deep sadness” after an 81-year-old great-grandmother hit by a police motorcycle on royal escort duties died

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Helen Holland, from Birchanger in Essex, was critically injured in the collision at the junction of West Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earl’s Court a fortnight ago. She had been in a coma and her family had said previously that they were “praying for a miracle”.

Her son Martin Holland said in a statement that his mother had died after “irreversible damage to her brain finally ended the battle”. He added that she had been suffering from “multiple  broken bones and massive internal injuries" and that she had been using the "safe route of [a] pedestrian crossing when she was struck by the motorcycle", which was escorting Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, at the time.

The family had described her as "sprightly for her age" and a "beautiful, loving, kind and caring lady".