Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson in a near-disastrous car chase

A spokesperson for the couple has claimed that Prince Harry, Meghan and her mother were involved in a “near-disastrous car chase” involving paparazzi.

The incident occurred after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an award ceremony in New York on Tuesday.

Their spokesperson said in a statement that the “hot pursuit” lasted more than two hours.

They added that it led to close collisions.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify the details.

In a statement, the New York Police Department confirmed the incident and said several paparazzi “made… [Harry and Meghan’s] Transport Challenge.

There were no reports of injuries or arrests. Buckingham Palace has not yet commented.

There are claims that the chase involved half a dozen cars, with reckless driving including running through red lights, driving onto the curb, executing stopping motions, and reversing on a one-way street – as well as taking pictures while driving.

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should not be at the expense of anyone’s safety,” said the Prince’s spokesperson.

“The publication of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous for all involved.”

The awards ceremony – the Women with Vision Foundation Awards – was the couple’s first public appearance together since the king’s coronation earlier this month. Meghan received an award at the event alongside Black Voters Matter co-founder Latosha Brown.

The couple was accompanied by Megan’s mother, Doria Ragland. Pictures taken last night show the group leaving the concert in Manhattan.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that two police officers “could have been hit” and that “it would be horrible to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this.”

While Mr. Adams said he would “find it hard to believe” a two-hour high-speed chase occurred, a 10-minute chase in crowded New York would be “extremely dangerous.”

The BBC understands that the couple had been staying at a friend’s house in New York and had not returned directly to avoid compromising their security during the chase.

It is also alleged that the presence of the NYPD officers did not stop the pursuit. The couple uses private security while in the United States.

Duncan Larcombe, author of Prince Harry: The Inside Story, told the BBC it appeared “something has gone terribly wrong” with Harry and Meghan’s security in the country.

“This will be a big surprise for the people who used to take care of Harry in the UK,” he said. “There are huge questions to be asked about whether photographers can still operate in this way.”

Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a car crash in 1997 in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi.

In an interview with the BBC for the documentary Diana, 7 Days, Prince Harry referred to the paparazzi as “a pack of dogs” who constantly stalked his mother. “Every time she went out, there was a group of people waiting for her,” he said. “I mean a pack of dogs, followed her, chased her, teased her, called her names, spit on her, trying to get a reaction, to get that picture of her hitting her.”

Prince Harry is currently embroiled in multiple legal disputes with the British tabloid press, including allegations of phone hacking and illegal gathering of information.

Earlier this week, the prince’s lawyer told a London court that he should be allowed to contest a government decision that would deny him the ability to pay for police protection while in the country.

The couple stepped down from their royal duties and moved to the US in 2020 – a move they said was due in part to harassment from British tabloids.

Prince Harry has described his fight to change the media as his “life’s work”. Next month he will appear in court in London to testify in a phone hacking case.