The family of a woman who was critically injured in a crash with police escorting Sophie Wessex say she is in a coma in hospital.
Helen Holland was “thrown 40 feet across the road” after being struck by a motorbike, an eyewitness claims.
The 81-year-old was hit at the junction of West Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earl's Court, west London, on Wednesday afternoon.
Her family are "shocked and sickened" at her injuries, they said tonight.
Her son and daughter-in-law Martin and Lisa-Marie Holland told the BBC they were "shocked and sickened at her extensive injuries".
They added: "She is being well cared for by the NHS who we must thank deeply for their help in keeping her alive."
Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Thursday saying the Duchess was "grateful for the swift response of emergency services and will keep abreast of developments".
It went on: "Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.
"The Duchess' heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family."
Retired antiques dealer Martin Hennessy, 62, told the Mirror how he saw plenty of police vehicles and that the woman was peering around black curtains shielding a junction box when she was struck.
“She’s lucky to be alive at all. The road is a nightmare. We’ve warned the council about it. There have been three people killed here,” said Mr Hennessy.
“When you get to the junction you have to step out to see if anything is coming, that’s when she was hit.
“I came out to walk the dogs and that's when I saw this thoroughfare. She’d been thrown across the road and the ambulance were treating her."
No other injuries were reported, said the Metropolitan Police, and enquiries into the crash are ongoing.
A police spokesperson said on Wednesday: “A woman has been injured after being involved in a collision with a police motorcycle in west London.
"At approximately 15:21hrs on Wednesday, 10 May a police motorcycle on escort duties was involved in a collision with a member of the public on West Cromwell Road, Earls Court, SW5.
"Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance attended and a woman, aged in her 80s, was taken to hospital. She remains there in a critical condition. Her family have been informed.
"There are no reports of any other injuries."
