Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and her mother Doria Ragland were in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Prince Harry said.
The incident happened after Harry, Meghan and Doria attended an award ceremony in New York City, where Meghan received the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Award, per ABC News.
“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,” a spokesperson for Harry said, per The Guardian.
“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 continued.
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
The New York City Police Department confirmed that there was no collision or injuries caused by the chase.
“On [Tuesday] evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” the police department said in a statement to CBS New York. “There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”
Meghan was accompanied by Harry and her mother as she received the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Award for “her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls,” per ABC News.
“Because of this foundation, so many of our youth have been instilled with self-worth and limitless possibility no matter their race, gender, class, sexual orientation, disability or age,” Meghan said as she accepted the award, per ABC News. “Your collective work in pursuit of a world where every person is truly valued is nothing short of awe inspiring.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the chase “reckless and irresponsible” on Wednesday, per CBS News.
“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how his mom died,” Adams added.