Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been left shaken after a "near catastrophic car chase" involving their yellow cab taxi and US paparazzi in New York.
Meghan's mum Doria Ragland was also in the car when the terrifying incident happened after they left an awards ceremony on Tuesday night.
The couple were at their first public event since Britain's King's coronation as Meghan attended the Ms Foundation for Women’s 50th-anniversary gala event with her husband and mum.
READ MORE: Prince Harry admits single thought in his mind when he first saw Meghan Markle at wedding
In a statement, the Harry's spokesperson said the "relentless pursuit" lasted for more than two hours by half a dozen vehicles.
They added it resulted in near collisions with other drivers on the road, pedestrians and police officers, Mirror UK reports.
The couple is said to be "extremely upset and shaken".
At the same time, Meghan's mum Doria, 66, was particularly "terrified" by the ordeal.
It is understood that Harry and Meghan believe the pursuit could have been fatal, as it involved six blacked-out vehicles with unidentified people driving "recklessly" and "endangering the convoy and everyone around them".
A spokesperson for the 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 (New York Police Department) 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 involved.”
The trio were pursued after leaving the Ziegfeld Theatre in midtown Manhattan where the former actress, 41, was honoured at the Women of Vision Awards.
After getting into the back of a yellow cab with Meghan in the middle around 10pm, their vehicle was followed by around 12 paparazzi. No photographers at the event were commissioned by this newspaper.
As the couple began to be followed, their taxi driver opted not to remain in place but tried to lose the photographers.
One cameraman allegedly hit a car in the pursuit, while another almost ran over a police officer.
At least one of those following is said to have run a red light, reversed down a one-way street and mounted the pavement.
Despite a warning from uniformed officers not to continue, four paparazzi ignored their warnings.
During the incident, Harry, 38, captured some photographers with his iPhone camera while one of the couple's security sat in the front passenger seat.
A spokesperson for New York police said they had no reports of the incident.
Harry and Meghan say they accept a heightened level of attention when they are at public events, it is understood, and in this case they exited and entered the venue publicly, allowing photographers to get pictures.
The pair say the family was staying at a private residence and did not want to compromise the security of their friend’s home, it is understood.
It is said that traffic violations included driving on the pavement and through red lights, reversing down a one-way street, illegally blocking a moving vehicle and driving while photographing and while on the phone.
In addition, it is also said that while those involved were confronted by uniformed police multiple times, they continued the pursuit, and that there is footage taken from security along with other evidence to support these allegations.
During the ceremony, Meghan picked up the Ms Foundation’s Women of Vision Award, recognising her "global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls".
The ceremony 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 was presented with the award by renowned journalist and feminist activist Gloria Steinem.
Her acceptance speech closed out the gala where she said: “It’s never too late to start. You can be the visionary of your own life… There is still so much work to be done.
“I am a woman who remains inspired and driven by this organisation,” she said, looking over Ms Steinem, who introduced her alongside current foundation chief executive Teresa Younger.
“It allowed me to recognise that part of my greater value and purpose in life was to advocate for those who felt unheard, to stand up to injustice, and to not be afraid of saying what is true and what is just and what is right.”
Ever since Harry's mother, Princess Diana's death in August 1997, Harry has been haunted by how she too was once followed. She died in a car crash at age 36 after being chased by paparazzi in Paris.
Harry, who was 12-years-old when she died, explained in his "Spare" memoir he wanted “go through the tunnel” at precisely “65 miles per hour” after his mum died in a crash crash in Paris in 1997.
He wrote: “The exact speed Mummy’s car had supposedly been driving, according to police, at the time of the crash. "Not 120 miles per hour, as the press originally reported."
In 2019's ITV documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey," the former royal told how he thinks of his mother every time a camera flashes.
"Being part of this family, in this role, in this job, every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back," he said.
He added, "So in that respect, it's the worst reminder of her life, as opposed to the best."
Meghan has made no secret about her relationship with photographers hinting it was one of the reasons why the couple left the UK to raise their children.
She told The Cut magazine last September that if her son Archie attended school in London, she would “never be able” to drop him off or pick him up without it being “a Press pen of 40 people snapping pictures”.
The incident has taken place while Harry attempts to bring a second legal challenge against the Home Office over his security arrangements when in the UK.
Harry is seeking the go-ahead from the High Court to secure a judicial review over a decision that he should not be allowed to pay privately for his protective security.
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