Prince Harry’s "dangerous paparazzi pursuit" called into question
Photo agency Backgrid has spoken out against claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi after attending an awards ceremony in New York.
"At BACKGRID USA Inc., we value transparency and ethics in journalism, which include providing fair and factual responses to claims," Backgrid's statement reads.
"We are aware of Prince Harry's statement regarding an alleged 'near catastrophic car chase' involving himself, Meghan Markle, and her mother, in New York City on Tuesday night.”
"We want to clarify that we have received photos and videos of last night's events from four freelance photographers, three of whom were in cars and one of whom was riding a bicycle,” the statement continues.
"It is important to note that these photographers have a professional responsibility to cover newsworthy events and personalities, including public figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.”
Backgrid went on to say that according to the accounts given to them by the freelance photographers, they were covering Harry and Meghan’s time in New York City, which included a potential dinner following the awards ceremony.
"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 statement says.
"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,” it says.
"The vehicle was seen blocking off streets, and in one video, it is shown being pulled over by the police," Backgrid reports in the statement.
"We understand that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security detail had a job to do, and we respect their work," it continues.
"We do, however, want to point out that 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.”
The alleged car chase occurred on May 17 after the trio attended the Women in Vision Awards, hosted at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
"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," a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement.
"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 in involved.”
It was alleged the incident involved a half-dozen vehicles with blacked out windows and included some individuals driving the footpath, running red lights and reversing down a one-way street.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) released a short statement, dubbing it a “transport challenge”.
"The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," they said.
"There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he was yet to receive a full briefing but labelled the pursuit as “reckless and irresponsible”, comparing it to Princess Diana’s 1997 death in a Paris car crash after being chased by paparazzi.
"You shouldn't be speeding anywhere, but this is a densely populated city, and I think all of us, I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how his mum died," Adams told reporters when asked about the incident.
"It's clear that the paparazzi want to get the right shot, they want to get the right story, but public safety must always be at the forefront," Adams said.
A member of the Sussexes’ security team, Chris Sanchez, referred to the incident as “chaotic” in an interview with CNN’s Max Foster.
"I have never seen, experienced anything like this," he said. "What we were dealing with was very chaotic. There were about a dozen vehicles: cars, scooters and bicycles.”
He also said the couple were scared but relieved when they returned to the apartment where they were staying, which is believed to be a friend’s private residence.
"The public were in jeopardy at several points. It could have been fatal," Sachez said.
A local law enforcement source also corroborated some of the Sussexes’ reports to CNN.
They said a group of paparazzi in cars, motorcycles and scooters followed the trio as they left the ceremony, where Meghan had accepted an award from the Ms Foundation, alongside Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown.
Footage on social media showed Harry, Meghan and Ragland all leaving the Manhattan venue through the public exit, with lights flashing intensely as they got into a waiting SUV with cheering crowds behind barriers waving them off.
Another video posted by TMZ saw the couple in a yellow New York City cab, stuck in traffic several blocks away from the venue, as photographers recorded them through the windows. The taxi was being escorted by NYPD vehicles with flashing lights.
However, the taxi driver Sukhcharn Singh seemingly refutes the claims of a “near catastrophic car chase”.
Singh told The Washington Post he drove "Harry, Meghan, an older Black woman and one security guard" for a brief period, believed to be about 10 minutes.
“I don’t think I would call it a chase,” Singh said. “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.”
Singh did confirm the trio were being followed.
“They kept following us and were coming next to the car. They took pictures as we stopped and were filming us.”
When asked by the BBC if there was a “near-catastrophic chase”, he said, “I don’t think that’s true. I think that’s all exaggerated.”
Singh later spoke on Piers Morgan’s Sky News Australia program Uncensored and gave more insight into what happened when the royals and Ms Ragland got into his cab.
He said they were about to inform him of their destination address before paparazzi surrounded his vehicle, which was being followed by a police escort.
“Prince Harry and his wife and another lady jumped into my cab. And they seemed very nervous,” he said.
“We went a block, we were blocked by a [garbage] truck and then all of a sudden paparazzi just came out of nowhere and flashes just went off.
“They were just about to say the location where they were going to go but then the paparazzis came and the security guard said, ‘Hey listen – just circle back to the precinct’.”
Singh said he spent about 15 minutes with the royals who paid him a $US50 tip on top of the $US17 fare.
“I’ve had other celebrities in my cab as well but this one, they completely surrounded the car and just went crazy with the camera,” he said.
“We just went around the block and two cars were tailing us, behind us, with the camera and that was it.
“I don’t know what they went through, right, because I only had interaction with them for 15 minutes and they seemed very nervous when they were in my cab.”
When asked whether it was a two-hour car chase, Singh responded, “That must have happened before me.”
Image credit: Getty