Prince Harry returns to New York with Meghan Markle two years after ‘catastrophic’ car chase
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said the car chase was 'relentless'Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have returned to the city of New York, the backdrop of a terrifying car chase they said almost led to ‘catastrophic’ consequences.
Meghan travelled to the Big Apple to take part in the TIME100 summit, and discuss her new role of being an entrepreneur. The Duke of Sussex was by her side, playing the doting husband by supporting her new ventures.
However, fans slammed the couple for their ‘abnormal’ security measures they had in place for the event.
Meghan Markle‘s appearance comes after Prince Harry and his wife claimed a ‘relentless’ car chase involving paparazzi took place two years ago.
Prince Harry returns to New York with wife Meghan
The pair didn’t take any chances when it came to their security when they rocked up for the event at Jazz at Lincoln Centre.
They were spotted driving around the city with a four-car motorcade. It was made up of two SUVs for themselves and their bodyguards, as well as two unmarked police cars that followed them as part of their entourage.
It seems to be the staple for the Sussexes, as Meghan had the same amount of precautions when she was out in the city earlier this month.
Reports claimed the Duchess hired former Secret Service agents to form part of her private security detail when she went to see the Broadway show Gypsy on April 10.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘catastrophic car chase’
It comes two years after the parents said they were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” when paparazzi were following the couple.
The incident reportedly took place after they attended an awards ceremony in the city in May 2023.
Their spokesperson claimed the “relentless pursuit” lasted for more than two hours. Further alleging it resulted in”multiple near collisions” throughout.
It could have been fatal.
Harry and his wife were staying at a friend’s home, and decided to not return to the property over security concerns.
Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland was with them at the time. She reportedly tried to take shelter from paparazzi by heading to a Manhattan police station.
Read more: Prince Harry calls out police protection saying ‘inadequate’ security was a ‘trap’
Chris Sanchez, a member of their security detail, told CNN it was a “very chaotic scene” and claimed the photographers blocked the royals’ limousine.
He said: “The public were in jeopardy at several points.
“It could have been fatal.”
At one point during the car chase, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opted to try to use a New York taxi to get home and ditch their security vehicles in a bid to lose the photographers. Although, cab driver Sukhcharn Singh, whose taxi was flagged down by one of the security team, disputes the claim.
Mr Singh told the BBC, he picked them up on 67th Street, and said they ‘looked nervous’.
“As we went a block, we got blocked by a garbage truck and all of a sudden paparazzi came and started taking pictures,” he said. “They were just about to give me the location of where they were going to go, but then they told me to circle back to the precinct.”
He added claims it was “near catastrophic” may have been exaggerated, and didn’t think the paparazzi were being aggressive. Mr Singh said they “kept their distance” and called New York the “safest place to be” with police on every corner.
New York Police Department statement
A year after the event, in February 2024, a letter from the New York Police Department (NYPD) appeared to confirm Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were victims of a ‘reckless’ car chase on the streets.
A UK court filing which referred to the NYPD review said: “The investigation had found reckless disregard of vehicle and traffic laws and persistently dangerous and unacceptable behaviour on the part of paparazzi during the night in question.”
The NYPD letter mentioned paparazzi vehicles driving recklessly, disregarding vehicle and traffic laws. It added it led to the couple’s security team having to take evasive actions to avoid being struck by the cars chasing them.
Whereas one of the paparazzi agencies involved, Backgrid USA Inc, said in a statement after there were “no near collisions or near crashes”.
Increased security protocols were increased for the Sussexes when visiting the city, the NYPD confirmed following the incident.
The police stated there no arrests or injuries occurred at the time.
Read more: Prince Harry ‘snubbed’ by father King Charles as he’s ‘left in the dark’ over cancer condition
Sussexes’ ‘demands’ to photo agency
Days after the incident took place, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle demanded the celebrity photo agency hand over the images taken during the New York car chase.
Backgrid said it denied their request, which was laid out in a letter from the Sussex legal team.
The agency said the letter from the royals 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.”
But a lawyer for the organisation bit back, referring to Harry’s role in the royal family.
“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,” the agency responded.
“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.”
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