Cars raced over the sidewalk and red traffic lights: In New York, paparazzi are said to have ruthlessly and extremely riskily pursued a car with Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan on Tuesday evening (local time). The descriptions sounded like scenes from an action film and immediately evoked memories of the accidental death of Harry’s mother Diana almost 26 years ago.
The couple said there was a “near-disastrous car chase,” with “several near misses involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two New York City Police Department officers.” A message from the New York police and statements by the taxi driver from Harry (38) and Meghan (41) and other participants did not initially prove the serious allegations. New York Mayor Eric Adams condemned the incident as “reckless and irresponsible.” The police said: “There were many photographers who made the transport a challenge.” Ultimately, however, the couple arrived at their destination – “and there have been no reported accidents, subpoenas, injuries or arrests in this regard”.
The approximate course of events: The younger son of King Charles III. and his wife were at an award ceremony on Tuesday evening (local time) with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland (66). They were then driven back and forth across the Upper East Side for around 75 minutes with an escort of several SUVs to shake off pursuers. Then they stopped at a police station and got into a taxi. As was learned from the couple’s environment, Harry and Meghan stayed with friends and did not want to lead the paparazzi to their address.
But the statements contradict each other about how dangerous and sensational the persecution by the press photographers was. “I’ve never seen her more vulnerable than last night,” Ashley Hansen, a spokeswoman for the couple, told British broadcaster Sky News. “They were incredibly scared and upset.” Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the incident.
The couple’s environment said the chase could have ended “deadly”. Six vehicles with darkened windows raced ruthlessly around the celebrity convoy. The drivers took pictures at the wheel and made phone calls. Although confronted by uniformed police officers, they rushed away to continue the pursuit. There are recordings of security guards who documented what was happening. Harry and Meghan’s official biographer, Omid Scobie, spoke of a “cat and mouse game” on the BBC. The couple’s car raced through the city at up to 130 kilometers per hour to shake off pursuers.
However, there are no immediate plans to make the corresponding film recordings public, said a spokeswoman for the couple. It was the first public appearance between the two since Harry had traveled alone to his father’s coronation in England.
Other participants were much more relaxed. Taxi driver Sukhcharn Singh called the reports “exaggerated”. “I wouldn’t call it a chase. It never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie,” Singh told the Washington Post. At the same time, he confirmed that two vehicles had followed him and that the occupants had taken photos. The couple seemed scared.
A paparazzi involved, who remained anonymous, spoke of a “catastrophic experience” on British broadcaster ITV on Thursday. The danger was rather emanated from Harry and Meghan’s driver. It was the couple’s escort who blocked other cars and tried to force them to stop with maneuvers. The photo agency Backgrid, which specializes in celebrities, made a similar statement. According to the photographers involved, there were no near-accidents. The allegations are taken very seriously and will be investigated.
“It’s clear that the press, the paparazzi, want to get the right photos,” Mayor Adams said. “But public safety must always come first.” In the British newspaper “Telegraph”, which is extremely critical of the couple, co-editor Camilla Tominey commented on the different depictions: “A gap between fantasy and reality that you could drive a car through.” The message from the New York police took the drama out of the story.
Harry’s mother, Diana, died in a traffic accident in Paris in August 1997 when she was being pursued by paparazzi. Harry has repeatedly reported how much the death of his mother burdens him. In his biography “Reserve”, the prince described how he tried to process the accident: During a visit to Paris, he had a taxi drive him through the tunnel in which his mother had an accident – at exactly the same speed as her car back then.
The New York incident is likely to further damage Harry’s already miserable relationship with the tabloids. He’s fiercely accusing British tabloids of his mother’s death. In a BBC documentary he once said: “Every time she went out there was a pack of people waiting for her. Like a pack of dogs, they followed her, chased her, molested her, insulted her, spat on her , trying to get a reaction, the one photo of her thrashing about.”
Harry also blames the press for the bad relationship with the royal family around King Charles and heir to the throne William. He is currently suing several publishers in London, which he accuses of having unlawfully obtained information about him. The prince is also suing the British government’s decision not to give him police protection if he pays for it himself.
2023-05-18 11:52:32
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