Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Doria Ragland and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, are seen arriving to the 'Woman Of Vision Awards' in New York City. Photo / Getty Images
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Doria Ragland and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, are seen arriving to the 'Woman Of Vision Awards' in New York City. Photo / Getty Images
Varying perspectives have now been put forward after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed to be involved in what they described as a “near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi photographers in New York City.
The Sussexes, accompanied by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, had just left an award ceremony in Manhattan on Tuesday night when they said they were subjected to a two-hour “relentless pursuit” by a “gang” of at least six paparazzi in blacked-out vehicles.
But the couple’s version of events has been played down by authorities in New York as senior NYPD chiefs and mayor Eric Adams released statements.
Photographers and a taxi driver also gave their account of the incident which was reported as a two-hour chase through the city’s Upper East Side.
Prince Harry, Doria Ragland and Meghan Markle arrive at the Woman Of Vision Awards in New York City. Photo / Getty Images
The Telegraph has collated six statements from those connected to the chase including police, paparazzi and a New York taxi driver. This is what they say:
The Duke and Duchess
“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.
“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.”
Julian Phillips, a deputy commissioner at the New York Police Department
“On Wednesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 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.”
Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City
“It’s clear that the press and paparazzi want to get the right shot and the right story but public safety must always be at the forefront. The briefing I received, two of our officers could have been injured.
“New York City is different from a small town somewhere. You shouldn’t be speeding anywhere but this is a densely populated city. I don’t think there is many of us who don’t recall how his mom died.
“It would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander in something like this and for something to happen to [the Duke and Duchess] as well. We have to be extremely responsible. I’m going to be briefed in-depth later on today and to get the exact time frame.
“I would find it hard to believe there was a two-hour high speed chase ... but we will find out the exact duration. A 10-minute chase is extremely dangerous.
“We have a lot of traffic, movement, a lot of people use our streets. Any type of high-speed chase that involves something of that nature is inappropriate.”
“At BACKGRID USA Inc., we value transparency and ethics in journalism, which include providing fair and factual responses to claims. 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.”
Doria Ragland, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex attend the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards. Photo / Getty Images
“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. 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.
“According to the accounts given by these freelance contributors, they were covering the couple’s stay in New York City, including the possibility of a dinner after an award 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 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.”
“The vehicle was seen blocking off streets, and in one video, it is shown being pulled over by the police. We understand that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s security detail had a job to do, and we respect their work.
“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.
“At BACKGRID USA Inc., we do not condone any form of harassment or illegal activity. We are taking Prince Harry’s allegations seriously and will be conducting a thorough investigation into the matter.”
Paparazzi driver
A paparazzi driver reportedly involved in the allegedly high speed New York car chase of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has said that it was “very tense” trying to keep up with their vehicle.
Speaking anonymously to ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Thursday, the driver said: “Last night after leaving the theatre, there were hopes from me and a few other photographers that maybe they would go to a restaurant.
“For the most part, I was driving and it was very tense trying to keep up with the vehicles. They did a lot of blocking and there was a lot of different type of manoeuvres to stop what was happening.”
He claimed that Harry and Meghan’s driver made the pursuit “a catastrophic experience”.
“Their driver was making it a catastrophic experience… if they were going 80mph, I would probably have been going 20mph behind them and hoping to keep sight of them,” he said.
“So if it was dangerous and catastrophic, it was more than likely based on the person that was driving.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the ceremony, which benefits the Ms. Foundation for Women and feminist movements, in New York. Photo / Getty Images
Taxi driver
The Washington Post spoke to Sukhcharn Singh, a New York City taxi driver, who said he drove the Sussexes and a security guard for around 10 minutes before returning to the police station he had picked them up from at the security guard’s request.
“I don’t think I would call it a chase,” Singh was quoted as saying, adding that two vehicles had followed them and come next to the car, taking pictures and filming.
“I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie. They [the couple] were quiet and seemed scared but it’s New York — it’s safe.”
