Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were caught on Tuesday evening in a “racing chase” involving “very aggressive paparazzi” and the result was “disastrous,” a spokesman said in a press release from the couple.
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“The relentless pursuit, which lasted nearly two hours, resulted in a near collision with other drivers, pedestrians and two New York police officers,” the spokeswoman said in an email, adding that Prince and his wife live in California.
The couple, who were in the car with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland, left a party in New York where the Duchess of Sussex attended the philanthropic and feminist organization ‘Ms. Foundation for Women”.
Getty Images via AFP
AFP reporters covering the gala said the prince and his wife did not walk the red carpet, but entered and exited through the back of the building where the evening was being held.
“Even if a public figure arouses interest, this should never be at the expense of anyone’s safety,” the spokesman warned, adding that “spreading these images (…) encourages a very intrusive practice (in private life), which is dangerous” .
New York police did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.
Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, left the British royal family for California in early 2020 amid conflict and tension and media pressure.
Harry has long blamed the press and paparazzi for the August 1997 car crash in Paris that killed his mother, Princess Diana.
According to a source close to the couple, the chase involved half a dozen vehicles with “individuals driving recklessly and dangerously to the procession and everyone around”.
“The chase was dangerous,” the source said.
Harry arrived in London on May 6 for the coronation of his father Charles III, windy and alone.
The couple is actually quite unpopular in England. The tabloids are ruthless and Harry has several legal battles with them.
“Sussex” has been accused of knocking on the door in 2020, criticizing the then-powerful and secretive royal family, behind the scenes and exposing dissent to the world.
In “The Substitute,” written by Harry, William, the heir to the throne, is shown throwing his brother to the floor during an argument over Meghan in 2019.
