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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in what they called a "near catastrophic car chase" on Tuesday evening in New York City.
- Speaking to Piers Morgan, the taxi driver who drove the couple as photographers followed says: "They [the paparazzi] just went crazy with the cameras."
- Since, paparazzi agency Backgrid has commented saying their photographers "had no intention of causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras".
Several accounts have emerged following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's statement on Wednesday in which they revealed they were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" on Tuesday evening.
The couple, along with Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, attended Ms Magazine's 2023 Women of Vision Awards, where the former US actor was celebrated as one of the honorees.
"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers," a spokesperson for the couple said.
The New York Police Department said it had assisted the private security team protecting the couple, and "there were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging".
While police officials added they do not believe the car drive was "near catastrophic" and described it instead as a "bit of a chaotic scene", per Sky News, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he had received a briefing that two NYPD officers could have been injured in the incident.
"I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how his mom died," Adams added. "And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well."
While not the biggest fan of the Sussexes, and amid claims of his implication in Prince Harry's phone hacking case, Piers Morgan is attempting to get to the bottom of what the car drive home must really have been like for the couple.
Speaking to Sukhcharn 'Sunny' Singh, who'd already told The Washington Post he didn't believe he was particularly "in danger" on Tuesday, he asked: "Was the paparazzi any more or less than it would be for other celebrities?"
"For them it was more. It was a lot more," he said, speaking of the photographers that quickly "surrounded the car".
He added:
He recalled the couple feeling "nervous" and said: "You could see the look on their face [sic]."
Videos have since emerged on social media of the couple arriving and leaving the awards ceremony.
In one clip, you can hear someone shouting: "Meghan, how do you feel about being part of two broken families?"
SEE IT HERE.
"I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie. Harry and Meghan were quiet and seemed scared."
— TalkTV (@TalkTV) May 18, 2023
Eerily similar to the car chase that took Princess Diana's life in 1997, paparazzi agency, Backgrid, has since released a statement on the car chase, however, saying their photographers "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 reads, before adding instead: "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."
Harry and Meghan have yet to release a second statement – and the royal family has declined to comment.
