Meghan MarkleandPrince Harrywere involved in a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” in New York City.
A spokesperson for the couple said in a statement to PEOPLE, “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. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD 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,“Prince Harryand Meghan’s spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also said, “Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved.”
James Devaney/GC Images
The New York Police Department said in a statement: “On Wednesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 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.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams reacted to the event on Wednesday, saying, “It’s clear that the press, paparazzis, they want to get the right shot, they want to get the right story, but public safety must always be at the forefront,” Adams said.
He added, “I thought that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.”
Doria Ragland, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
The Ms. Foundation, which hosted the event thatPrince Harry, Meghan and Doria attended on Tuesday, said in a statement: “Last night, the Women of Vision Awards celebrated the incredible achievements of our honorees, marking the organization’s 50th anniversary of philanthropy in feminist movements. The Ms. Foundation is absolutely horrified at the harmful actions post-event that endangered Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and her family. Everyone, especially the media, must do better.”
Backgrid, a photo agency that captured photos of Harry, Meghan and Doria following the event, released a statement on the incident on Wednesday afternoon:
“At BACKGRID USA Inc., we value transparency and ethics in journalism, which include providing fair and factual responses to claims. We are aware ofPrince Harry’s statement regarding an alleged ‘near catastrophic car chase’ involving himself,Meghan Markle, and her mother, in New York City on Tuesday night. We want to clarify that we have received photos and videos of last night’s events from four freelance photographers, three of whom were in cars and one of whom was riding a bicycle. It is important to note that these photographers have a professional responsibility to cover newsworthy events and personalities, including public figures such asPrince HarryandMeghan Markle.”
Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a 1997 car crash in Paris that also involved photographers pursuing her vehicle.
Host Ranvir Singh asked if it was the combination of no seatbelts, paparazzi chasing the car and the driver having some drinks.
“When you look at most incidents, accidents, you find there’s a chain of events, and if any one of those chain of events had been different, it might not have led to that happening,” Douglas said. “For example, if they’d been wearing seatbelts, our experts tells us it was probably an 80% chance that they would have survived the accident.”
Princess Diana.Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
On Tuesday in London, a hearing intoThe Duke of Sussex v. The Home Officewas held in the Royal Courts of Justice in London.Prince Harry’s case against the U.K. government regards his removal of his security following the couple’s decision to step down from their royal roles.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.Kevin Mazur/Getty
“I remember them vividly because the pictures were different. There was diversity that I hadn’t seen as often, both of color and of age and the names were different,” she continued. “There were congresswomen, there were astronauts and the topics were different — from mothering to being a working mom to heavier topics such as domestic violence, the poverty line, unearthing its roots, where it comes from and matters of equity.”
“I was too young at the time to know what most of it meant,” Meghan said, adding that despite that, “the significance of these magazines was important.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.Raymond Hall/GC Images
Her mom, Meghan said, “had a subscription and having these pages in our home, it signaled to me that there was just so much more than the dolled-up covers and the images that you would see on the grocery store covers.”
“It signaled to me that substance mattered,” she added.
source: people.com
