Prince Harry and Meghan in 'near catastrophic' car chase with paparazzi in New York

Prince Harry and Megan Markle. File Photo

Britain's Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and her mother were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi photographers, a spokesperson for the prince said on May 17.

The British media reported that the chase occurred after the couple had attended an awards ceremony held in New York by the Ms. Foundation for Women, where Meghan was honoured for her work.

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

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"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," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers." the spokesperson added.

Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal roles in 2020 and moved to the United States partly because of what they described as intense media harassment.

Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a high-speed chase in 1997 after trying to flee the paparazzi who had been following her while she drove through Paris.

The Duke of Sussex wrote extensively about his mother’s death in his bestselling memoir 'Spare' and how he struggled with his grief following her death when he was 12-years-old.

(with agency inputs)