[1/2] Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, attend the UN General Assembly Celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day at UN Headquarters in New York.
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their mother were caught in a “nearly devastating car chase” by paparazzi photographers after attending an awards ceremony in New York, the prince’s spokesperson said on Wednesday. Announced.
The incident came after the couple left the Women’s Foundation on Tuesday night, when Meghan’s achievements were honored.
“Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Lady Ragland were involved in an almost catastrophic car chase at the hands of highly aggressive paparazzi,” a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement.
“This relentless pursuit lasted more than two hours and resulted in a near-collision involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD[New York City Police Department]officers.”
The prince has long expressed his anger after blaming media intrusion for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a runaway limousine crash in Paris while chasing paparazzi in 1997.
A spokesperson for the couple said the chase could have resulted in fatal injuries, including paparazzi driving on sidewalks, running red lights and driving while taking pictures.
Photos posted on social media show Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their mother in the backseat of a New York taxi.
A spokesperson said these were “just a glimpse of the defenses and decoys needed to end the harassment.”
“Being a public figure entails a certain amount of public interest, but you should never sacrifice anyone’s safety,” the spokesperson said. “The distribution of these images, given how they were obtained, facilitates highly intrusive practices that are dangerous for all involved.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal roles in 2020 and emigrated to the United States, partly due to heavy media harassment.
The prince is now involved in a number of lawsuits in London, which accuse the newspapers of using illegal means to target him and his family.
He is also trying to reverse the UK government’s decision to strip him of professional police protection while he is in the UK.
Interviewed by Mike Holden Written by William James
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