New York, May 17: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving "highly aggressive" paparazzi for over two hours in New York, a spokesperson for the couple said on Wednesday. The incident happened after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday. The couple were in the city for the Women of Vision Awards and were accompanied by Meghan's mother Doria Ragland.

Harry's mother Princess Diana and her close friend Dodi Fayed were killed in a horrific car crash in Paris in August 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.

In a statement, the New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed an incident took place and said that numerous photographers "made their (Harry and Meghan's) transport challenging." Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in 'Catastrophic' Car Chase After Being Followed by Paparazzi in New York.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests," it added. The couple's spokesperson said 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."

"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” the CNN reported. The statement added that the couple understand that “being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone's safety,” it said, citing the spokesperson's statement.

"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. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved," the spokesperson said. The incident is said to have happened after the couple's first public appearance together since the King's Coronation earlier this month. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Car Chased: Duke of Sussex's Spokesperson Says Couple Involved in 'Catastrophic' Car Chase While Being Followed by Photographers in New York.

Pictures that have appeared on social media have shown Harry, Meghan and her mother Ragland in a taxi. Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, quit their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States partly because of what they described as intense media harassment. The prince has long spoken out about his anger about press intrusion which he blames for the death of his mother Princess Diana, who was killed when her limousine crashed as it sped away from chasing paparazzi in Paris in 1997.

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