What to Know
- Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland were involved in a "near catastrophic" car chase in New York City on Tuesday night "at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," according to their spokesperson.
- Paparazzi were said to have been chasing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their appearance at the Ms. Foundation for Women's Annual Gala earlier that night.
- Reports of the incident recalled the tragic death of Harry's mother, Princess Diana, who passed away in 1997 following a car crash in France.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland were involved in a "near catastrophic" car chase in New York City on Tuesday night "at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," according to their spokesperson.
Paparazzi were said to have been chasing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their appearance at the Ms. Foundation for Women's Annual Gala earlier that night.
According to two senior law enforcement sources, at around 10 p.m. Harry and Meghan had private security with them as they were leaving the Ziegfeld Theater and trying to get back to where they were staying on the Upper East Side.
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Sources say that a crowd of paparazzi were at the theater and wanted to follow them since the press did not know where they were staying.
One NYPD vehicle ended up escorting their vehicle, sources say.
The couple was taken to the 19th Precinct and stayed there around 15 minutes before police helped them get off the block and get into a different vehicle so they could get to their destination without being followed.
News
In a subsequent statement Wednesday, the NYPD said: "On Wednesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 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."
Meanwhile, the couple's spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News, the "relentless pursuit" lasted for over two hours and resulted in "multiple near collisions" with other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD police officers. Three additional senior law enforcement officials say that although it was not a chase, they were being followed.
While the couple described the whole chain of events as "near catastrophic," officials describe it as a bit of a chaotic scene, although they continue to put together an official timeline of what exactly transpired Tuesday night.
The cab driver, Sukhcharn Singh, told The Associated Press that he instantly recognized his passengers when they scooted in. “They were following us the whole time,” he said of the paparazzi, though he said he wouldn’t call it a chase.
Singh, the cab driver, was on 67th Street near an NYPD precinct when a security guard waved him down. Singh pulled the yellow taxi to the curb and in came Harry, Meghan and her mom.
“They had this look on their faces,” he said. They were about to give their destination when a garbage truck blocked their path.
“All of a sudden paparazzi came out and started taking pictures,″ he said.
Instead, one of the royals told him to circle back to the precinct.
A video posted by TMZ showed the couple in a yellow cab stuck in traffic several blocks away from the ballroom, as photographers recorded them through the windows. The cab was being escorted by NYPD vehicles with flashing lights.
“They didn’t say much,” Singh said. “They just asked my name and then after that Harry said thanks and have a good day.”
They paid $17 in fare — and left a generous tip.
“It was pretty good man,″ Singh told The Associated Press. “They gave me a $50.”
“I mean, when I’m going around the block that’s more than enough.”
TLC Commissioner David Do hailed the driver's efforts, saying "New York City yellow cab drivers are as safe as they are legendary. This is no exception."
During an unrelated press conference Wednesday morning, NYC Mayor Eric Adams addressed the incident.
"It's clear that the paparazzi they want to get the right shot, they want to get the right story, but public safety must always be at the forefront," he said, adding that in the briefing he received "two of our officers could have been injured."
"New York City is different from a small town somewhere," the mayor went on to say. "You shouldn't be speeding anywhere, but this is a densely populated city and all of us -- I don't think there are many of us who don't recall how his mom died and it would be horrific to lose innocent bystanders during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well."
Reports of the incident recalled the tragic death of Harry's mother, Princess Diana, who passed away in 1997 following a car crash in France.
