Paparazzi chased Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “recklessly” around New York last year, police confirmed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said at the time that they and Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, narrowly avoided a “catastrophic” accident while being chased by paparazzi after leaving the Women of Vision Awards at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan. on May 16.
In a statement that echoed the 1997 chase through Paris that killed Harry's mother, Princess Diana, a spokesman for the royal couple said in the wake of the incident: “This relentless chase, which lasted more than two hours, resulted in multiple near-collisions. involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two [police] officers.”
But authorities gave a different version of events at the time. The New York Police Department, which assisted with the couple's private security, said the trip had been “challenging” but “no collisions, citations, injuries or arrests were reported.”
However, at a hearing Wednesday in Superior Court, a judge revealed that New York City police investigated the car chase and found that the paparazzi displayed “persistently dangerous and unacceptable behavior.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at charity event in New York ahead of 'near catastrophic' car chase
(PENNSYLVANIA)
As Sir Peter Lane ruled on Harry's case against the British government over the duke's security measures in the United Kingdom, the retired judge cited a letter sent by the Chief of Intelligence of the New York City Police Department to Chief Superintendent Commander of the Royalty and Specialized Protection of the OCU. .
The redacted version of the letter, dated December 6, 2023, described how police investigated safety concerns raised by the Sussexes, suggesting safety changes had been implemented for the couple in light of the incident.
After a “thorough review,” the letter, given to the judge by Harry's lawyer, said: “We conclude that the behavior in question was reckless.”
Explaining the findings of the police investigation, the judge said: “The investigation found reckless disregard for traffic and vehicle laws and persistently dangerous and unacceptable behavior by the paparazzi on the night in question.
“They had operated vehicles, scooters and bicycles in a manner that forced the security team, which included the NYPD lead car, to take evasive action on several occasions and a circuitous route to avoid being hit by pursuing vehicles or trapped in lateral blocks.”
Although no formal charges were filed, the hearing found there was enough evidence to arrest two people for “reckless endangerment.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistlers 2025 One Year To Go Winter Training Camp in February
(Getty Images)
The incident involved half a dozen cars with blacked-out windows, driving dangerously and endangering the lives of the couple and Mrs Ragland, according to their spokesperson. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Mrs Ragland were involved in a near-catastrophic car chase at the hands of a group of very aggressive paparazzi,” they said.
The California-based couple had been staying at a private residence, but decided not to return there because they did not want to compromise the safety of their host.
The pair are understood to believe the chase could have been fatal, and the incident is said to have included traffic offenses including driving on the pavement and running red lights, reversing on a one-way street, illegally blocking a vehicle moving and driving while photographing. and while talking on the phone.
Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal roles in 2020 and moved to the United States in part because of what they described as intense media harassment.
The duke lost his battle against the British government on Wednesday over a change in the level of his taxpayer-funded personal security when he visits the UK, but vowed to seek an appeal.
The duke took legal action against the British Home Office over the February 2020 decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) after he was told he would no longer receive the “same degree” of protection financed with public funds when in the country.
Sir Peter Lane rejected Harry's case and concluded that Ravec's approach was neither irrational nor procedurally unfair. In her partially redacted 52-page ruling, she said the duke's lawyers had adopted “a formalistic and inappropriate interpretation of the Ravec process,” adding: “The 'tailored' process devised for the plaintiff in the February 28 decision 2020 was, and is, legally sound.”
However, following the ruling, a legal spokesperson for Harry said he would appeal, adding: “The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but rather a fair and legal application of Ravec's own rules, ensuring he receives the same consideration as others in in accordance with Ravec's own written policy.”
The independent has contacted New York City police.
