Harry and Meghan in ‘near catastrophic’ car chase – spokesman

Prince Harry, Meghan and their mother were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi, a spokesman for the prince has said.

The incident happened after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday.

In a statement, the prince’s spokesman said the “relentless pursuit” lasted more than two hours.

They added that it led to near-crashes with other drivers on the road, pedestrians and police officers.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify the details of the incident.

There are claims that the chase involved half a dozen cars, with reckless driving including running red lights, driving on the curb, performing blocking maneuvers and reversing down a one-way street, as well as taking pictures while driving .

“While being a public figure comes with a level of public interest, it should never come at the expense of anyone’s safety,” the prince’s spokesman said.

“The dissemination of these images, given the manner in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous for all involved.”

So far, there have been no reports of injuries or arrests. The New York Police Department (NYPD) did not immediately confirm knowledge of the matter and Buckingham Palace has yet to comment.

The awards ceremony, the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Awards, was the couple’s first public appearance together since the King’s coronation earlier this month. Meghan accepted an award at the event alongside LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of Black Voters Matter.

The couple was accompanied by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland. Photographs taken last night show the group leaving the ceremony in Manhattan.

The chase that followed is now said to have involved half a dozen cars, with reckless driving including running red lights, driving on the curb, making blocking moves and reversing down a one-way street, as well as photos while driving. .

The BBC understands the pair were staying at a friend’s house in New York and did not return straight away to avoid compromising their safety during the chase.

It is also claimed that the presence of New York police officers did not stop the chase. The couple uses private security while in the United States.

Duncan Larcombe, the author of the book Prince Harry: the Inside Story, told the BBC that it appears “something has gone very wrong” with Harry and Meghan’s security in the United States.

“This will be a huge shock to the people who used to look after Harry in the UK,” she said. “There are a lot of questions that need to be asked about whether the paparazzi can still operate this way.”

Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a 1997 car crash in Paris while being chased by photographers.

In an interview with the BBC for the Diana documentary, 7 Days, Prince Harry referred to the paparazzi as “a pack of dogs” who were constantly chasing his mother. “Every time she came out there was a group of people waiting for her,” she said. “I mean a pack of dogs, he followed her, chased her, harassed her, called her names, spat at her, trying to get a reaction, get the picture of her being whipped.”

Prince Harry is currently involved in multiple legal disputes with the British tabloid press, including allegations of phone hacking and illegal information gathering.

Earlier this week, a lawyer for the prince told a London court that he should be allowed to challenge a government decision denying him the ability to pay for police protection while in the country.

The couple stepped down from royal duties and moved to the US in 2020, a move they said was partly due to harassment from UK tabloids.