Harry & Meghan Were Just in a ‘Near Catastrophic Car Chase’ With Paparazzi
When news circulated of a “near catastrophic” incident involving Prince Harry, Meghan, and a car chase by paparazzi photographers, it was impossible to ignore the similarities to the events that lead to the death of Princess Diana, Harry’s mother.
The incident, which has been reported by Deadline, Reuters, and Sky News, allegedly happened after Harry and his wife left an event in New York on May 16, 2023. Meghan had been honored with a Women of Vision award, which recognized four feminist changemakers: the Duchess of Sussex, the founder of Black Voters Matter LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project Wanda Irving, and the executive director of Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity Kimberly Inez McGuire.
Harry, Meghan, and Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, left the event in an SUV at around 10 pm and were immediately followed by around 12 paparazzi, according to Page Six. An inside source further explained the incident to the outlet, stating: “It started off with 12 paparazzi then ended up with four chasing [Meghan, Harry and Doria],” the source revealed. “Their security tried their best to lose [photographers].”
The Prince’s spokesperson released a statement describing the incident which happened after the former royal couple left the event. “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.” The statement concluded with a plea to news outlets not to circulate the images taken by the photographers in question: “Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
Omid Scobie, Prince Harry’s biographer, detailed further information about the incident on his Twitter: “Despite being confronted by uniformed police multiple times, the paparazzi’s cars continued their pursuit in trying to follow the Sussexes and Doria to the private residence they were staying at. Traffic violations by the drivers include driving on a sidewalk, going through red lights, reversing down a one-way street, driving while photographing and illegally blocking a moving vehicle.” He continued: “Photos of the couple that came as a result from the two-hour chase briefly appeared on the Daily Mail this morning but have since been removed. A source close to the Sussexes says Harry, Meghan and Doria are ‘understandably shaken but thankful everyone’s safe’.”
Anyone familiar with modern royal history will notice how eerily similar the incident is to the events that lead to Princess Diana’s untimely death when Harry was just 12 years old. Diana died in the early hours of August 31, 1997, after her car crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, France, after being pursued by photographers. She was 36 years old. Many have blamed the paparazzi and the unrelenting British press for their part in how she died.
In an interview on CBS’ Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special in March 2021, Harry opened up about how he feared that Diana’s death will “repeat” itself with him or his wife, Meghan Markle, which is the reason he moved his family from London to America in 2019. “My biggest concern was history repeating itself,” Harry told Oprah referencing his Princess Diana’s death. “For me, I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here, talking to you with my wife by my side. Because I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her [Diana] going through this process by herself all those years ago. Because it has been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we have each other.”
Related: Harry Thought Diana Was Alive & Faked Her Death Until He Was 23—He ‘Refused to Accept’ It
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