A spokesman for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stated Wednesday that the couple was involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi in New York.
Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, had been in the nation’s financial capital for an awards ceremony when the incident occurred on Tuesday night.
The spokeswoman confirmed to AFP by email that Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, was in the car with them.
Last night, a group of extremely aggressive paparazzi chased the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Ms. Ragland, and their car to the brink of disaster.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers,” the statement added.
According to a source close to the pair, a group of six vehicles followed Meghan and Harry while “unidentified people were driving recklessly and endangering the convoy and everyone around them.”
“The chase could have been fatal,” the insider emphasized.
Harry’s relationship with the press has always been tense.
His mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a vehicle accident in Paris in 1997, and he believes that paparazzi harassment played a role in her untimely demise.
In early 2020, Harry and Meghan shocked the world by announcing they were leaving their royal family obligations and relocating to the United States.
Since relocating to California, the younger son of King Charles III has been embroiled in a number of lawsuits against British newspaper publishers.
Harry has accused the tabloid The Mirror of illegally acquiring information, and the paper’s proprietor has now apologized “unreservedly” and stated the prince is entitled to “appropriate compensation.” There was no additional information given.
In addition to the publisher of The Sun, Harry is also suing the Daily Mail and its parent company. Later on this year, a decision will be made in those circumstances.
A spokesman for the couple also said in the statement, “while being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” it warned.
When asked for comment, the New York Police Department’s official spokesperson did not immediately answer.