Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have released a statement saying that they suffered a horrific near-death experience in New York City, but the police, their cab driver, and the photo agency involved in the incident are singing a different tune.
Some observers quickly wondered if the alleged shocking incident would bring the power couple closer to the British royal family, especially the Prince of Wales.
Meghan Markle makes a splash in her first official outing after King Charles’s coronation
Tuesday night Meghan Markle attended a highly anticipated event in New York. In a stunning gold dress, the Duchess of Sussex attended the 2023 Women of Vision ceremony.
The former actress received an award from Gloria Steinem. According to the organization, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was honored for her fight for gender equality and women’s rights.
She was accompanied by her husband, Prince Harry, and her mother, Doria Ragland. The paparazzi and journalists came out by the numbers because it was the first official outing by Prince Harry and Markle since the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle release statement about car chase incident
A statement released by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s official spokesman revealed that after the event, they suffered the fright of their lives.
According to the spokesperson, after the soirée, the trio were in a chauffeured SUV heading to their secret destination on the Upper East Side when their security team discovered that they were being dangerously followed by about 12 photographers.
The statement claimed that the SUV was not able to shake off the photographers, so the couple was taken to a police station.
An insider told Page Six that a paparazzo almost crashed into the vehicle of a police officer. During the wild car chase, another photographer almost hit a car.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in the statement: “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.”
It went on to say: “This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road. 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.”
Eric Adams brings up Princess Diana
The mayor of New York, Eric Adams, appeared at a press conference after the incident, where he confirmed that two New York police officers were nearly injured during that chase.
Adams also spoke about Prince Harry’s mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who was killed in a 1997 car crash in Paris involving the paparazzi.
He said: “I don’t think there are many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s mom, Princess Diana] died. It would be horrific to lose innocent bystanders during a chase like this and [for] something to have happened to them as well.”
The New York City Police Department released an official statement that seems to paint a less dramatic portrait of the situation.
The authorities claimed: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination, and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard. We assisted the royals’ private security team in keeping them safe.”
A police officer told Page Six: “[The chase] definitely wasn’t two hours.” The source added that there were no 911 calls to report the events involving the royals.
Taxi driver Sukhcharan Singh paints different picture of encounter with paparazzi
Sukhcharn Singh, a New York cab driver, who was flagged by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s security guard outside of the police station, has conducted multiple interviews to share his version of the story.
He said he picked up the royal couple, a bodyguard, and Doria Ragland and drove for about ten minutes when the following happened: “They kept following us and were coming next to the car. They took pictures as we stopped and were filming us.”
Singh went on to say the bodyguard viewed the situation as dangerous, and he asked to bring the trio back to the police station.
He downplayed the incident by explaining: “I don’t think I would call it a chase. I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie. They were quiet and seemed scared, but it’s New York — it’s safe.”
He also claimed that he was generously paid by the royal pair.
Royal Family keeps healthy distance from the unfolding drama
Backgrid, the well-known photo agency, confirmed that they had four freelance photographers following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their New York trip.
The agency denied that the couple was in a “near-catastrophic car chase.” The company issued a statement that read: “According to the photographers present, there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during this incident. The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point.”
Nonetheless, the agency has promised to open an investigation into the allegations. The statement concluded by: “We do not condone any form of harassment or illegal activity. We are taking Prince Harry’s allegations seriously and will be conducting a thorough investigation into the matter.”
Members of the Royal Family have deemed the incident was not serious enough for them to end the rift with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Page Six has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla have not reached out to the Sussex couple.
The former American actress and the British prince have not heard from Prince William and Kate Middleton after being rattled by the unexpected events. Aides for the Waleses say that they are not commenting on the matter.
Backgrid is refusing to turn over the photos as requested by the rebellious royals.
