Prince Harry, Meghan Markle involved in "near catastrophic car chase"
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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Doria Ragland attend an awards ceremony in New York City on May 16. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" with photographers on Tuesday evening, a royal biographer said Wednesday citing the prince's spokesperson.
Driving the news: The chase involved a "ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," the spokesperson said, and took place after the couple attended an awards ceremony held in New York City.
- "This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers," the spokesperson added.
- “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."
- Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, was also in the car with the couple.
Princess Diana, Prince Harry's mother, died in a car accident in 1997 after being chased by paparazzi.
- In the couple's Netflix series released last year, Prince Harry drew comparisons between the media coverage endured by his mother and his wife. He also emphasized the couple's need for security.
Catch up quick: NYPD was assisting the couple's security team on Tuesday evening, Julian Phillips, the department's deputy commissioner for public information, told Axios in a statement.
- "There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard," Phillips added.
- Prior to the car chase, the couple had attended the Ms. Foundation for Women’s 2023 Women of Vision Awards, where Markle was honored for her work on behalf of women and girls.
What they're saying: New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the incident "reckless and irresponsible" at a press conference on Wednesday.
- Adams said that he "would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour, high-speed chase," adding that even "a 10-minute chase is extremely dangerous in New York City."
- "I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Prince Harry's] mom died, and it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and for something to have happened to them as well," Adams said.
Zoom out: The couple stepped away from their roles as senior royals in 2020.
- Prince Harry has been involved in a legal battle over privacy rights with several British newspapers.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional context, a statement from NYPD and comments from New York Mayor Eric Adams.
