Following what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s spokesperson called a “near catastrophic” car chase involving the royal couple and paparazzi in New York City, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's legal team is now asking for the footage of the situation from the photo agency Backgrid. However, the request was followed up by the agency sending a searing message about America, the Crown and who has the right to the video.
As we learn more about what happened during this intense paparazzi situation, the royal couple’s legal team wrote to Backgrid claiming that they needed the footage to “shore up their own security.” The statement, TMZ reported said:
We hereby demand that Backgrid immediately provide us with copies of all photos, videos, and/or films taken last night by the freelance photographers after the couple left their event and over the next several hours.
This request was followed up with a scathing letter from Backgrid’s lawyer, who rejected the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s statement, and replied by saying:
In America, as I'm sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it: Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them, as perhaps Kings can do. Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago. We stand by our founding fathers.
According to the report, Backgrid had four photographers spread between three cars and a bike who were near the royal couple during this situation. They added to their statement, noting that they had “no intention of causing any distress or harm.”
The site then explained that there is reportedly no legal basis for the photography agency to turn over the video and photos, and there haven’t been any lawsuits filed that would require Backgrid to give the couple’s team the footage.
In the events that followed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s intense interaction with the paparazzi after the Duchess of Sussex received an award in New York City, there’s been a lot of talk about the severity of the situation. The person driving the cab they were in said he didn’t feel in danger while transporting the couple and Markle’s mom. A spokesman for the NYPD also called the situation “challenging,” but noted that there were “no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests.”
Leading up to this “chase,” and the reactions that followed the royal couple has been embroiled in alleged drama with the senior Royal Family and the tabloids. Over the last couple of months, there has been a lot of talk about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship with King Charles. It's been especially amplified in relation to the coronation as the Duke of Sussex attend the event, and left London right after, while the Duchess of Sussex stayed home with their kids. Prince Harry was also been involved in another tabloid lawsuit in the UK this year.
It’s unclear at the moment if the situation involving the paparazzi footage taken in New York City will escalate. As more news continues to come out about the situation between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and the photographers who followed them, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
