PRINCE Harry, Meghan and her mother were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi, a spokesperson for the prince has said.
The incident happened after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday.
In a statement, the prince’s spokesperson said the “relentless pursuit” lasted for over two hours.
They added it resulted in near collisions with other drivers on the road, pedestrians and police officers.
The BBC has not been able to independently verify the details.
In a statement, the New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed an incident took place and said that numerous photographers “made their [Harry and Meghan’s] transport challenging.”
No injuries or arrests were reported. Buckingham Palace has not yet commented.
There are claims the chase involved half a dozen cars, with reckless driving including going through red lights, driving on the pavement, carrying out blocking moves, and reversing down a one way-way street – as well as taking photographs while driving.
“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,” the prince’s spokesperson said.
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that two police officers “could have been injured” and that it “would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this”.
While Mr Adams said he “would find it hard to believe” a high-speed chase took place for two hours, even a 10-minute chase in congested New York would be “extremely dangerous”.
The awards ceremony – the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Awards – was the couple’s first public appearance together since the King’s Coronation earlier this month. Meghan accepted an award at the event alongside LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of Black Voters Matter.
The couple were accompanied by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland. Photographs taken last night show the group leaving the ceremony in Manhattan.
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