Recently, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry claimed to be in a “near catastrophic” two-hour car chase with paparazzi in NYC. One of Prince William’s friends mocked the two, telling the Daily Beast, ““William and [Kate Middleton] have put up with s–t like this in the past. Everyone understands [Harry’s] anger at the photographers, but making hysterical statements doesn’t help matters, especially when, as the Queen might have said, recollections may vary.”
This anonymous source also talked down on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for going to the Women of Vision Awards before the incident occurred, seeing as they left their royal duties behind to avoid the spotlight. The friend added, “I thought they were leaving the royal family for a quieter life. If flashbulbs give Harry flashbacks, I don’t understand why he is going to award ceremonies. Both pals of Prince William and King Charles III bashed the couple for the drama with the paparazzi.
Still, some would argue that these two have a right to go out to whatever events they please without being harassed and feeling as though their lives are in danger. Additionally, given what happened to his mother, we’re not surprised that poor Harry felt triggered and endangered by the situation.
That being said, a source mentioned that Charles did completely understand Harry’s feelings about the paparazzi pursuit and acknowledges how scary it is. However, he also wants the former Prince to know that making complaints about the media and the photographers makes everything worse.
Recently, Page Six confirmed that Harry’s brother and father, whom he is currently estranged from, never reached out about the chase. In fact, no one from the royal family had. Markle was clearly very shaken after the event, as was her mother Doria Ragland. According to one insider, one of the paparazzi hit a car, and another nearly ran over a police officer during the dramatic escapade, which is being described as “near-fatal.”
A rep for the Sussexes released the following statement: “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.”
Although it’s no question that whatever occurred was traumatizing for the couple, some witnesses had conflicting views on what happened. According to the photo agency that employed these photographers, the couple wasn’t put in any hard, and there was nothing close to a crash or collision. Additionally, the NYPD says that they escorted Meghan and Harry alongside the royals’ private security team the entire time without being followed.
Another NYC cop claimed that the chase “definitely wasn’t two hours.” After being accused of lying, Markle and Harry demand footage of the evening from the photo agency Backgrid.
Harry has been estranged from his father and brother since the couple spoke out about the monarchy and Harry’s controversial “Spare” memoir was published. Still, he attended the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camila before hurrying back home to California to celebrate his son Archie’s birthday.
