Harry and Meghan – latest news: US photo agency mocks couple for ‘royal prerogative’ picture demands

The alleged car chase involving the royal couple is said to have lasted over two hours through the streets of New York

Meghan and Harry's taxi driver speaks out after 'chase'

Rishi Sunak has said “cars in New York are not really my priority” after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s team said they avoided a “near catastrophic car chase” in the US city.

Harry and Meghan were followed by paparazzi after attending an awards ceremony with the duchess’s mother, Doria Ragland, according to a spokesman for the couple.

The New York Police Department said there were no arrests, injuries or reported collisions but said “numerous photographers” had “made their transport difficult” on Tuesday evening.

The Prime Minister said he was “not aware of a particular incident in question” and sought to discuss his domestic policies during an interview with the BBC in Japan, where he is attending a G7 summit.

Pressed if he has sympathy with a possible invasion of privacy or safety, Mr Sunak said: “I think just as all of us do, we want to make sure that we go about our day-to-day lives in safety and security.

Key Points

• Sunak focusing on UK safety rather than Harry and Meghan NY ‘car chase'
• Photo agency mocks Harry and Meghan, refusing to hand over pictures
• New York Police Department (NYPD) full statement
• Royal fans claim paparazzi ‘learned nothing from Diana’ after Meghan and Harry involved in car chase
• Harry and Meghan in ‘near catastrophic car chase’ involving paparazzi

[19 May 2023 04:00 · Emily Atkinson]

Royal fans claim paparazzi ‘learned nothing from Diana’ after Meghan and Harry involved in car chase

Royal fans have expressed their concerns that paparazzi photographers “learned nothing from Diana” after Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and her mother Doria Ragland were reportedly “involved in a near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi.

“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,” a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement, adding that the “relentless pursuit” lasted “over two hours” and “resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers”.

The incident is said to have occurred on Tuesday after the couple and Ms Ragland attended an awards ceremony in New York City, with the Sussexes reportedly on their way back to the “private residence” where they were staying when they encountered the paparazzi.

Chelsea Ritschel has more:

[19 May 2023 04:00 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Harry and Meghan ‘not contacted by royal family’ after car chase in New York

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been contacted by the royal family after claiming to have been involved in a “near-catastrophic” car chase.

Read more here:

[19 May 2023 04:17 · Shweta Sharma]

Photo agency mocks Harry and Meghan, refusing to hand over pictures

A photo agency that took pictures of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle in a car chase has mocked the royal couple, refusing to hand over the material.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who called the alleged car chase by paparazzi in New York City on Tuesday night “near catastrophic”, demanded Backgrid, a California-based agency, hand over the pictures and videos taken during the encounter.

“We hereby demand that Backgrid [photo agency] immediately provide us with copies of all photos, videos, and/or films taken last night by the freelance photographers after the couple left their event and over the next several hours,” a letter from their lawyers said.

However, the agency’s lawyers snubbed the royal couple, saying they cannot just make demands in America “as Kings can do”.

“In America, as I’m sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it: Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them, as perhaps Kings can do,” Backgrid’s legal team responded.

“Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago. We stand by our founding fathers,” it added.

[19 May 2023 04:42 · Shweta Sharma]

Cab driver says Harry and Meghan’s account is ‘exaggerated’

The taxi driver, Sukhcharan Singh, who drove Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle for about 10 minutes during the chase, said they were “pretty nervous” but described claims that it was “a near catastrophic car chase” as exaggerated.

“I was on 67th Street and then the security guard hailed me. Next thing you know, Prince Harry and his wife were hopping into my cab,” Mr Singh told BBC.

“We got blocked by a garbage truck, and all of a sudden paparazzi came and started taking pictures,” he added.

He told Sky News that they were nice people and looked nervous. “I think they were being chased the whole day or something. They were pretty nervous,” he said.

When asked if the situation was dangerous, he said: “I don’t think that’s true, it’s exaggerated. Don’t read too much into that.”

[19 May 2023 04:59 · Shweta Sharma]

Sunak says ‘not aware’ of Harry and Meghan chase

Rishi Sunak, who is in Hiroshima for the G7 meeting, said he was “not aware of a particular incident in question” but said he is more focused on road safety in the UK and in New York City,

The British prime minister said “cars in New York are not really my priority” after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s team said they avoided a “near catastrophic car chase” in the US city.

Pressed if he has sympathy with a possible invasion of privacy or safety, Mr Sunak said: “I think just as all of us do, we want to make sure that we go about our day-to-day lives in safety and security.

“My job as prime minister is to ensure everyone feels safe in our country. That’s why we put 20,000 more police officers on the street. It’s why we’re giving them the powers to tackle things like knife crime.”

But told the incident under discussion happened in the US, Mr Sunak said: “Cars in New York are not really my priority or my responsibility.

“What is my priority and responsibility is people’s safety at home.”

[19 May 2023 05:30 · Emily Atkinson]

Watch: Paparazzi driver says Harry and Meghan car chase caused by couple’s driver

[19 May 2023 06:11 · Shweta Sharma]

News sites take down paparazzi photos of Harry and Meghan after ‘catastrophic’ chase

Photos of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle taken on the night they were chased by paparazzi in New York City briefly appeared on British tabloid websites before they were taken down amid reports that the pursuit led to “near collisions.”

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said that a relentless chase unfolded after the couple and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland attended the Ms Foundation for Women award ceremony in Midtown.

The spokesperson said the pursuit was “near catastrophic” and involved “other drivers ... pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”

[19 May 2023 06:39 · Shweta Sharma]

What really happened in Harry and Meghan’s paparazzi car chase?

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan claim they narrowly avoided a “catastrophic” collision while being pursued by paparazzi after leaving a charity event in New York.

The royal couple said were followed by photographers in half a dozen vehicles with blacked-out windows, on scooters and bikes after exiting the Women of Vision Awards at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom on 16 May, their official spokesman said the following day.

But in the hours after the spokesman’s statement, several differing accounts emerged which suggested the incident might not have been as dramatic as initially portrayed.

[19 May 2023 07:00 · Emily Atkinson]

Omid Scobie criticises King Charles and Prince William for ‘failing to contact Prince Harry’ after car chase

Journalist Omid Scobie has singled out King Charles III and the Prince of Wales after it appeared that “not one member” of the royal family reached out to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their “near-catastrophic” car chase.

It comes after the couple claimed they were pursued “relentlessly” by paparazzi through New York City on Wednesday (17 May).

Scobie, who has authored biographies about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, told BBC Newsnight that the response from the royal family to the incident has been “disappointing” for the couple.

Kate Ng reports:

[19 May 2023 07:30 · Shweta Sharma]

Prince Harry’s current security ‘unaware of dilemmas’, says former bodyguard

The Duke of Sussex’s former bodyguard has said his current security team lack experience, following a “near catastrophic car chase” in New York.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were followed by paparazzi after attending an awards ceremony with the duchess’s mother, Doria Ragland, on Tuesday, the couple’s spokesman said.

Ken Wharfe, who used to take Harry to school when he was three years old, said his current security were “unaware of what the dilemmas seem to be”.

The former bodyguard told the PA news agency: “There seems to be a lack of chemistry between them and Harry and Meghan.

“The departure from the hotel was chaotic before they began their whacky drive through New York.

“Harry needs to be part of the planning. He knows the dangers better than anyone.

“You (need) a relationship with the people you are protecting. Until that happens things like this will happen again.”

It is said those involved in the incident were confronted by uniformed police several times but continued the pursuit.

It is also said there is security footage and other evidence to support the allegations.

Mr Wharfe added: “There seemed to be no planning happening on that night.