According to their spokeswoman, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were involved in a frenzied automobile pursuit with photographers in New York on Tuesday night that might have had "catastrophic" consequences.
After leaving the Women of Vision Awards at the city's Ziegfeld Ballroom, the Sussex family was followed by photographers in a convoy that also included Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland. Although nobody was wounded, the experience left the couple rattled.
Although there were allegedly "numerous" photographers making the Sussexes' transportation "challenging," police stated there were no recorded crashes, injuries, or arrests.
The pair claims that their struggle with the photographers lasted a long time and featured several driving infractions. The representative for the pair stated, "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."
"During this unrelenting pursuit, which lasted more than two hours, there were numerous close calls involving other road users, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers."
Chris Sanchez, a member of the couple's security team, described the encounter as worrisome in an exclusive interview with CNN. "I have never seen, or experienced anything like this," he declared. "The situation we were in was really chaotic. About a dozen automobiles, scooters, and bicycles were there.
He claimed that while the Sussexes were terrified, they felt relieved once they got back to their lodging. "There were multiple times when the public was in danger. It may have been deadly," added Sanchez.
The couple switched automobiles during the car pursuit, he later stated. After leaving the awards event in a black sedan, the pair was subsequently seen getting into a yellow taxi.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) issued a statement in which it acknowledged the broad strokes of the Sussexes' claim but used less flamboyant language to do so. According to Julian Phillips, the deputy commissioner for public communications for the NYPD, "there were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging" on Tuesday evening as the NYPD "assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard," the man stated.
The couple's representative begged the media not to publish any images from the incident, stating that 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." Given the methods used to collect them, "dissemination of these images encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved."
The event, according to the couple's team's description, featured about six blacked-out vehicles being driven recklessly by unidentified persons, threatening the convoy and everyone nearby.
When the couple left the event on Tuesday, a "swarm" of photographers in cars, motorbikes, and scooters followed them, according to a local law enforcement source who confirmed parts of the couple's claims to news reporters. The insider claimed that a protective crew from the New York Police Department (NYPD) followed Harry and Meghan in another car and had to use some evasive techniques to evade the paparazzi.
The source claimed that paparazzi on motorcycles and scooters sped down the sidewalk to keep up. The insider also stated that there were many near-collisions, including brief halts between the front and rear of vehicles.
The insider also said that the couple's caravan was led to a police station where they were permitted to reassemble.
Both the Kensington Palace of Prince William and the Buckingham Palace of King Charles informed reporters that they would not be making any comments on the event.
Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, called the event "reckless" and "irresponsible."
Adams responded to reporters when questioned about the event at a separate briefing: 'You shouldn't be speeding anyplace, but this is a heavily packed city, and I think all of us, I don't believe there's many of us who don't know how his mum died'.
According to Adams, "Public safety must always be at the forefront. It's evident that the paparazzi want to get the ideal photo, they want to get the right narrative.
The Duke of Sussex has frequently drawn comparisons between his wife's treatment and that of his mother, Diana, in his advocacy for the protection of his family. Following internal injuries from a high-speed vehicle incident in Paris, the late Princess of Wales passed away in 1997.
In the couple's six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry rebutted those who claimed the pair has a paparazzi issue.
Cameras in your face, following you, and pursuing you were common forms of physical harassment in his mother's period, he claimed.
He said, "Paparazzi still bother people. "However, harassment is increasingly more prevalent online. The social media abuse starts when the photos are published and the accompanying narrative is added. It's difficult for me to see a lady I love to go through this feeding frenzy. The underlying conflict is between the hunter and the prey.