Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving the paparazzi.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed today they were subjected to a “relentless pursuit” by photographers after an event in New York on Tuesday evening.
The royal couple, who were with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, said that “highly aggressive paparazzi” chased them for two hours that resulted “in multiple near collisions”.
Buckingham Palace told The Independent that it would not be commenting on the incident.
When the spokesperson was asked if King Charles planned to get in contact with his son, the spokesperson repeated that the Palace will not be commenting.
Harry, Meghan and Ms Ragland had been at the Ms Foundation for Women’s 50th anniversary gala event which honoured “game-changing” grantee partners and visionary leaders committed to the organisation’s mission of “advancing collective power and creating safe, just and equitable futures for women, girls, and gender-expansive people”.
Meghan received the Ms Foundation’s Women of Vision Award, recognising her “global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls”.
It was Harry and Meghan’s first public appearance together since the duchess’s absence at the King’s coronation earlier this month.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the royal couple 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.
“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.
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved.”
New York Police Department, which deployed officers to help escort the duke and duchess, said “numerous photographers” had “made their transport difficult” on Tuesday evening.
The statement said there were “no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests”.
Speaking on Wednesday, New York mayor Eric Adams condemned the photographers for being “reckless and irresponsible”.
He added that it would be “horrific” for Harry to be involved in an accident similar to the one that killed his mother Diana in 1997.
Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a crash after her car, driven at speed by a drunk chauffeur, was chased through the streets of Paris by paparazzi photographers.
