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
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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.
Harry and Meghan's run-in with paparazzi is another episode in their battle with the media
The latest chapter in the drama surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan’s treatment by the tabloid media was much ado about something.
But exactly what happened Tuesday night in New York when the royals left a gala event and were followed by a group of photographers was not completely clear. What was evident is that the pursuit would likely only fuel Harry’s fury with the media as well as his greatest fear that his wife could meet the same fate as his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash while being chased by paparazzi.
The couple’s representatives claimed they had been pursued by paparazzi in a “near catastrophic car chase” through the streets of Manhattan. Police said the pursuit was relatively short, led to no injuries, collisions or arrests and warranted no further investigation. And a photo agency later contended it was Harry and Meghan’s security guards who acted recklessly.
Harry and Meghan's run-in with paparazzi is another episode in their battle with the media
The latest chapter in the drama surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan’s treatment by the tabloid media was much ado about something
Voices: The real ‘near-catastrophic’ car crash is Meghan and Harry’s PR campaign
More information may emerge in the coming days, but so far the Duke and Duchess have laid themselves open to criticism from the haters, of which there is no shortage, writes Sean O’Grady.
The real ‘near-catastrophic’ crash is Meghan and Harry’s PR campaign | Sean O’Grady
More information may emerge in the coming days, but so far the Duke and Duchess have laid themselves open to criticism from the haters, of which there is no shortage
Paparazzi ‘refuse to hand over’ shots of Harry and Meghan taken during car chase
A photo agency involved in an alleged New York City car chase with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has reportedly refused to hand over images of the couple.
Backgrid rejected a demand by the Sussexes to hand over photographs taken during what the pair described as a “near catastrophic” pursuit on Tuesday night, saying Americans “long ago rejected royal prerogative”, the BBC said.
The letter, which the celebrity picture agency said it got from the pair’s legal team on Thursday, reportedly said: “We hereby demand that Backgrid 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.”
In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesman for Harry and Meghan said the pair and Meghan’s mother “were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi”.
He added: “This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”
The duke and duchess had been at the Ms Foundation For Women’s 50th anniversary gala event.
It was Harry and Meghan’s first public appearance together since the duchess missed the King’s coronation on May 6.
Paparazzi deny there were any near-crashes, while the NYPD said “numerous photographers” made the couple’s journey “challenging” but there were “no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests”.
During an interview with the BBC at the G7 summit in Japan, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared to dismiss the incident, saying: “Cars in New York are not really my priority or my responsibility.
“What is my priority and responsibility is people’s safety at home.”
Harry and Meghan’s car chase has shocking echoes of Diana
A relentless pursuit. Two hours. The son and his wife in the car. It is a succession of coincidences and details that will make the blood of every right thinking person boil, writes Samuel Fishwick.
A timeline of Harry and Meghan’s ‘two-hour car chase’ in New York
Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and her mother Doria Raglandwere trailed in their car by paparazzi for over two hours after they left a New York City charity event on Tuesday night.
A spokesperson for the royals claimed that they had been pursued by paparazzi in a “near catastrophic car chase“ through the streets of Manhattan.
Here is the timeline of the events.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports:
Timeline of Harry and Meghan’s ‘two-hour car chase’ in New York
NYPD say ‘numerous photographers’ made the couple’s transport ‘challenging’
ICYMI: ‘Stalker’ arrested outside Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home
A man suspected of stalking Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was arrested outside the couple’s home in Santa Barbara County, California, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Kevin Garcia Valdovinos, 29, was allegedly seen “lurking” outside the mansion in Montecito at around 2am, according to TMZ, and was booked on misdemeanor stalking charges after police attended the scene.
It is not known whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, or their children Prince Archie, four, or Princess Lilibet, one, were at home at the time of the incident.
Joe Sommerlad reports:
‘Stalker’ arrested outside Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home
Kevin Garcia Valdovinos, 29, allegedly seen ’lurking’ outside couple’s mansion in Santa Barbara, California, in the early hours of the morning
Watch: Harry and Meghan celebrate fifth wedding anniversary
ICYMI: Buckingham Palace refuse to comment on paparazzi car chase involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving the paparazzi.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed today they were subjected to a “relentless pursuit” by photographers after an event in New York on Tuesday evening.
The royal couple, who were with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, said that “highly aggressive paparazzi” chased them for two hours that resulted “in multiple near collisions”.
Joe Middleton reports:
Buckingham Palace refuse to comment on paparazzi car chase involving Harry and Meghan
Buckingham Palace told The Independent that it would not be commenting on the alleged car chase
Harry and Meghan celebrate five years of marriage after ‘near catastrophic’ car chase
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are celebrating their fifth anniversary today (Friday 19 May).
This year’s anniversary is perhaps overshadowed by a recent incident with the paparazzi, where an alleged car chase involving the royal couple is said to have lasted two hours through the streets of New York City on Tuesday night (16 May).
While contrasting accounts of the events are still being unearthed, representatives of the Sussexes have said the incident was “near catastrophic” and that members of the paparazzi involved were “highly aggressive”.
Ellie Muir reports:
Harry and Meghan celebrate five years of marriage after paparazzi ‘car chase’
The pair wed at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in 2018
Who is Meghan Markle’s mother? Everything to know about Doria Ragland
Over the years, Meghan Markle has been very vocal about her close relationship with her mother, Doria Ragland.
On Tuesday, 16 May, the pair were accompanied by Prince Harry as they made their way to Manhattan to attend a charity awards ceremony by the Ms. Foundation for Women, where Meghan was honoured for her work. The royal couple have now claimed that when they left the event, they were followed by the paparazzi for more than two hours.
“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,” a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement released on 17 May.
Amber Raiken reports:
What to know about Doria Ragland amid paparazzi car chase?
Harry, Meghan, and her mother were involved in ‘a near catastrophic car chase’ by paparazzi in Manhattan on 16 May
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