Prince Harry and Meghan Markle involved in 'near catastrophic car chase' with New York paparazzi
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved an extended car chase with paparazzi in New York City.
"Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement to PEOPLE. "This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers."
The royals' 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."
Kevin Mazur/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The chase occurred when Markle, Prince Harry, and Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, were making their way back to a friend's private residence where they were staying after attending the 2023 Women of Vision Awards: Celebrating Generations of Progress & Power at the Ziegfield Ballroom in Manhattan. Markle is one of this year's honorees for her global advocacy for female empowerment.
Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana, died in a 1997 car crash in Paris following a car chase with paparazzi.
Members of the New York Police Department were involved in the case. A spokesperson said in a statement that "numerous" photographers "made their transport challenging," but also confirmed that "there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests."
Sukhcharn Singh, a cab driver who transported the trio for a portion of their journey, said that while his car was pursued by two vehicles during the drive, he wouldn't characterize the incident as a "chase."
"I don't think I would call it a chase," Singh told The Washington Post. "I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn't like a car chase in a movie. They were quiet and seemed scared, but it's New York — it's safe."
At an unrelated press conference on Wednesday morning, Mayor Eric Adams called the incident "a bit reckless and irresponsible."
"It's clear that the press, the paparazzi, they want to get the right shot," Adams said. "But public safety must always be at the forefront."
He added, "I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how his 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."
This post has been updated with statements from the New York Police Department and New York Mayor Eric Adams.
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