Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said “cars in New York are not really my priority” after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s team said the pair endured a “near catastrophic car chase” in the US city.
Speaking to BBC News at the Seifukan tea house in Hiroshima’s Shukkeien garden, the Prime Minister said: “In general, I wouldn’t comment on anything to do with the royal family.
“I’m not aware of a particular incident in question.
“I think just as all of us do, we want to make sure that we go about our day-to-day lives in safety and security. My job as Prime Minister is to ensure everyone feels safe in our country. That’s why we put 20,000 more police officers on the street. It’s why we’re giving them the powers to tackle things like knife crime.
“Cars in New York are not really my priority or my responsibility.
“What is my priority and responsibility is people’s safety at home. That’s why we put more police officers on the street and are giving them the powers they need to keep us safe.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were followed by paparazzi after attending an awards ceremony with the duchess’s mother, Doria Ragland, in New York on Tuesday, the couple’s spokesman said.
Prince Harry is reported to be preparing more legal action in a bid to force the UK Government to provide his family with security.
There are claims they were subjected to a “relentless pursuit” involving six blacked-out vehicles driving recklessly and endangering the convoy and everyone around them.
It is said those involved in the incident were confronted by uniformed police several times but continued the pursuit.
It is also said there is security footage and other evidence to support the allegations.
In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesman for Harry and Meghan 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 involved.”
Harry, Meghan and Ms Ragland had been at the Ms Foundation For Women’s 50th anniversary gala event, and it was Harry and Meghan’s first public appearance together since the duchess’s absence from the King’s coronation earlier this month.
Chris Sanchez, a member of the couple’s security team, told CNN the incident was alarming.
He said: “The public were in jeopardy at several points. It could have been fatal.”
But photographers told celebrity news agency Backgrid USA there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during the incident.
Backgrid USA said it had received photos and videos from four freelance photographers, three who had been in cars and one who was riding a bicycle.
A statement from Backgrid USA said: “They had no intention of causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras. A few of the photos even show Meghan Markle smiling inside a cab.
“The photographers report that one of the four SUVs from Prince Harry’s security escort was driving in a manner that could be perceived as reckless.
“The vehicle was seen blocking off streets, and in one video, it is shown being pulled over by the police.”
The photo agency said it took the Duke of Sussex’s allegations seriously and will be conducting an investigation into the matter.
Harry and Meghan are said to accept a heightened level of attention when they are at public events, and in this case they exited and entered the venue publicly, allowing photographers to get pictures.
On Wednesday New York mayor Eric Adams described the photographers as “reckless and irresponsible”.
The New York Police Department, which deployed officers to help escort the duke and duchess, said “numerous photographers” had “made their transport difficult” on Tuesday.
The statement said there were “no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests”.
