Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a near-catastrophic car chase with paparazzi in New York City on Tuesday night. The couple was driving home from an awards ceremony when they were followed by a group of photographers.
The paparazzi reportedly drove recklessly, swerving in and out of traffic and running red lights. At one point, they even drove on the sidewalk.
Harry’s spokesperson said that the couple were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”
The chase ended when Harry and Meghan’s security team was able to lose the paparazzi. However, the incident left the couple shaken.
The chase is the latest in a series of incidents involving Harry and Meghan and the paparazzi. In recent months, the couple has been photographed without their consent on numerous occasions. They have also been subjected to harassment and abuse from photographers.
The couple’s spokesperson said: “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,”
“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 involved.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States, in part due to the intense media scrutiny they faced. Harry has spoken out about his anger at the press intrusion, which he blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana. She was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997, while being chased by paparazzi.
The car chase comes after a man was arrested outside Harry and Meghan’s home on Monday morning, on suspicion of stalking.
The couple have repeatedly spoken about the impact of the media on their lives. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan said that she had felt suicidal as a result of the constant attention.
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, received the Women of Vision Award on that Tuesday at the Ms. Foundation for Women’s annual gala. She and her husband, Prince Harry, made their first public appearance since the coronation of King Charles.
In her acceptance speech, Meghan encouraged women to fight for equity. She said, “It’s never too late to start. You can be the visionary of your own life.”
