Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “dangerous” car chase while being pursued by paparazzi Tuesday night in New York City.
They were traveling with Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, in an SUV after the former Suits actress was honored at the Women of Vision Awards in Manhattan.
The three got into the SUV around 10 p.m., and were followed by paparazzi for “over two hours,” a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said.
“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,” the rep said in a statement to CNN Wednesday.
“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.
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Police assisted the couple’s private security team during the incident, NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Julian Phillips confirmed to Urban Hollywood 411.
“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,” Phillips said.
No one was injured and there were no arrests made, according to police.
'It's just never too late to start. You can be the visionary of your own life', Meghan Markle told the Women of Vision awards in an inspirational speech https://t.co/vRQQj2Trzu
— LBC (@LBC) May 17, 2023
New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the chase “reckless and irresponsible,” adding “two of our officers could have been injured.”
A source told Page Six the pursuit “started off with 12 paparazzi, then ended up with four chasing [Meghan, Harry and Doria].”
The source said uniformed NYPD officers tried to intervene, but were “ignored” by the photographers. One vehicle almost ran over a police officer, the outlet reported.
As the situation escalated, Harry, Meghan and Doria exited the SUV and got into a yellow taxi with help from police.
Paparazzi pictures of the three and a man who appeared to be a security guard in the front seat of the taxi were published by multiple outlets.
The spokesperson for Harry and Meghan urged media outlets not to buy pictures taken during the pursuit.
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the rep said.
Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi in Paris.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to California after stepping down from their roles as senior royals in 2020.
Harry just returned to the U.S. a week ago, after attending his father King Charles III’s coronation ceremony in London.
Harry and Meghan are parents to Prince Archie, 4, and 23-month-old daughter Princess Lilibet.
The couple traveled to New York where Meghan was honored for being “a feminist, champion of human rights and gender equity, and global role model.”
According to the Women of Vision website, five others were also recognized. Among the honorees were LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter; and Wanda Irving, co-founder of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, a non-profit dedicated to alleviating Black maternal health disparities.
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