Prince Harry And Meghan Claim “Relentless Pursuit” By Paparazzi Resulted In Dangerous Chase And Near Collisions After Charity Event

May 19, 2023

Prince Harry, who is fifth in line for the British throne, met US-born actress Meghan in the summer of 2016 through mutual friends. In a cover story for Vanity Fair back in September 2017, she said: “We’re in love.”

Less than ten months later, the couple got married in a ceremony watched by millions worldwide. Almost one year to the day of their first wedding anniversary, on May 6, 2019, the couple welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Duke and Duchess’s wedding, which took place on May 19, 2018, was in the media spotlight for months ahead of the event. The royal ceremony differed from others in the past, as it featured elements of Meghan’s African American roots, such as a gospel choir. The ceremony was attended by many high-profile Hollywood personalities such as George and Amal Clooney.

Ever since officially leaving the royal family, Prince Harry has made it his mission to be transparent with the public about the difficulties he and his wife, Meghan Markle, experienced within the institution. Among them was their Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021 and in 2022, the release of their Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” chronicling the pair’s romantic journey and experiences under intense public scrutiny. This has been followed by “Spare,” Harry’s memoir whose title originates from claims the prince learned that after he was born, his father, King Charles III, had told his mother, Princess Diana, shortly after his birth that she had “given me an heir and a spare.” 

Another thing Harry’s memoir made clear was the deep trauma his mother’s death left him with. For years, he was in a half-state of denial over his mother’s death that only abated when he asked for photos. It is no wonder then that a recent incident with paparazzi in New York reopened old wounds for Prince Harry. 

It was only when Harry was 20 years old that he first saw photographs of the crash that killed his mother, saying he wanted “proof” and asking his then assigned to him private secretary to acquire what pictures had circulated of Princess Diana’s accident and death.

“Proof that she was in the car. Proof that she was injured. And proof that the very paparazzi that chased her into the tunnel were the ones that were taking photographs of her lying half dead on the back seat of the car,” he said, adding his private secretary had persuaded him not to view more graphic pictures.

“All I saw was the back of my mom’s head – slumped on the back seat. There were other more gruesome photographs, but I will be eternally grateful to (my private secretary) for denying me the ability to inflict pain on myself by seeing that. Because that’s the kinda stuff that sticks in your mind forever,” Harry added. 

One can only wonder what went through Harry’s mind on May 16, 2023, when Harry and Meghan left a charity event in New York City with Meghan’s mother in tow, and paparazzi appeared as soon as the couple was on their way home.

ABC News reported that the couple had originally started travelling in their own car, followed along by their security team. Said private security team, however, noticed a car following them persistently and decided to change tactics while they were en route. Driving towards the 19th Precinct of the NYPD, a member of the security team flagged down a normal taxi in the hopes that switching cars would help shake the paparazzi.

AP News reported that their taxi driver did recognize his passengers, although at first he just took it to be a usual job. However, Sukhcharn Singh also saw that several paparazzi suddenly appeared: “All of a sudden paparazzi came out and started taking pictures.”

Unfortunately, the security team’s tactic did not succeed and when the couple took off in their taxi, several of the paparazzi again decided to pursue. The couple was finally able to shake their pursuers some time later.

A spokeswoman for the couple later issued a statement about the incident: 

“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.”

According to Washington Post, the NYPD affirmed that they had “assisted the private security team protecting” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during the chase. However, they said the chase was not as long as the couple’s spokeswoman claimed nor as dangerous:

“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” NYPD spokesman Julian Phillips said in the statement. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests.”

ABC News quoted New York City Mayor Eric Adams as saying that “I would find it hard to believe there was a two-hour high-speed chase. But if it’s 10 minutes, a 10-minute chase is extremely dangerous.” However, the mayor also admitted that he had received a briefing on the incident and that there was a near-miss where two NYPD officers “could have been injured.”

What do you think of this incident? How would you have handled being chased by paparazzi in Prince Harry’s stead?