Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and her mother were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving “highly aggressive” paparazzi for over two hours in New York, a spokesperson for the couple said. The incident happened after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday.

According to the media reports, the couple was in the city for the Women of Vision Awards and was accompanied by Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland.

In August 1997, Harry’s mother Princess Diana and her close friend Dodi Fayed were killed in a horrific car crash in Paris while being chased by paparazzi.

Official statements

The couple’s spokesperson said, “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.”

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” CNN reported.

The statement added that the couple understands that “being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” it said, citing the spokesperson’s statement.

“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,” the spokesperson said.

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‘No immediate knowledge of the incident’

However, the New York Police Department (NYPD) did not immediately confirm knowledge of the incident.

The incident is said to have happened after the couple’s first public appearance together since the King’s Coronation earlier this month.

Pictures that have appeared on social media have shown Harry, Meghan and her mother Ragland in a taxi.

The couple quit their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States partly because of what they described as intense media harassment.

The prince has long spoken out about his anger about press intrusion which he blames for the death of his mother Princess Diana, who was killed when her limousine crashed as it sped away from chasing paparazzi in Paris in 1997.

(With Input Feeds)