(1/2) Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the United Nations General Assembly’s observance of Nelson Mandela’s International Day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York,…
LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and his mother were involved in a “near-catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi photographers after attending an awards ceremony in New York, a said a spokesman for the prince on Wednesday.
The incident happened after they left the Ms. Foundation for Women on Tuesday night, where Meghan was honored for her work.
“Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Mrs Ragland were involved in a near-disastrous car chase at the hands of a circle of very aggressive paparazzi,” the couple’s spokesperson said in a statement.
“This relentless chase, which lasted more than two hours, resulted in multiple near misses involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers.”
The prince has long expressed anger at press intrusion which he blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed when her limousine crashed as she drove away chasing the paparazzi in Paris in 1997.
The couple’s spokesperson said the chase could have been fatal and involved paparazzi driving on the sidewalk, running red lights and driving while taking photos.
Footage that has emerged on social media shows Harry, Meghan and his mother sitting in the back of a New York taxi.
The spokesperson said it was “a little insight into the defense and decoys needed to end harassment.”
“While being a public figure brings some public interest, it should never come at the expense of anyone’s safety,” the spokesperson said. “The release of these images, given the manner in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive and dangerous practice for all involved.”
Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal roles in 2020 and moved to the United States in part because of what they described as intense media harassment.
The prince is currently embroiled in numerous court cases in London where he has accused newspapers of using illegal methods to target him and his family.
He is also seeking to overturn a decision by the UK government to strip him of specialist police protection while in Britain.
Reporting by Mike Holden, writing by William James
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