A British mother and child who were killed on Friday in a crash on the N2 at Zinkwazi‚ about an hour north of Durban‚ were related to Queen Elizabeth‚ the UK newspaper The Sun reported on Sunday.

The newspaper identified the deceased as Louise Sword‚ 53‚ and her daughter‚ Tabitha Sword.

It said her husband Alistair‚ 53‚ and son Benjamin‚ 11‚ were both cut free from their wrecked SUV and airlifted to a Durban hospital and were critical but stable on Friday night.

The newspaper said Louise’s brother Tim Taylor‚ 55‚ is married to the Queen’s cousin Lady Helen Taylor.

KZN Emergency Medical Services spokesman Robert McKenzie on Friday said the two‚ who were passengers in one of the three vehicles involved in the crash‚ had died.

McKenzie said a third person‚ the driver of the Mercedes Benz vehicle which collided with the SUV‚ died at the scene.

IPSS Medical Rescue spokesman Dylan Meyerick said the freeway was closed because of the head-on collision near the Zinkwazi Bridge.

The accident happened shortly after 3pm. The road reopened at about 6.30pm.