Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, And Her Mom In 'Near Fatal' Car Chase With Paparazzi In New York

Prince Harry, his wife, Meghan Markle, and her mom, Doria Ragland, were reportedly involved in a "near fatal" car chase. The trio was in New York to attend the Foundation Women of Vision Awards, and the pursuit happened after.

Harry and Meghan's released a statement that condemned the paparazzi for the chase. The incident happened shortly after Harry was informed that British police weren't for hire for his family.

Read on to find out more.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's spokesperson has confirmed that the couple and her mom Doria Ragland were in a "near fatal" car chase. The incident happened after the trio flew to New York to attend the Foundation Women of Vision Awards.

A source claimed to Page Six that one of the paparazzi hit a car during the chase, while another almost hit an NYPD officer in the commotion. They said, "It started with 12 paparazzi, then ended with four chasing [Meghan, Harry, and Doria]. Their security tried their best to lose [photographers]."

The insider also revealed that Harry used his phone in the car to take videos of the paparazzi chasing them. Their security also recorded several videos to gather evidence for the New York police.

Shortly after the news of the car chase spread, Harry and Meghan's representatives released a statement. It read, "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."

The statement continued, "This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers. 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."

More sources have also spoken about the "absolutely shocking" incident. They said Ragland is particularly "terrified" by the experience and that "Everyone is still upset, to say the least." Harry and Meghan are still reportedly in New York after the incident.

The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, also slammed the paparazzi for a "near fatal" incident. According to People magazine, the Mayor called the chase "reckless" and also referred to the death of Princess Diana, saying, "I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how [Prince Harry's] mom died..."

The Duke of Sussex has always been open about how heartbroken he was when his mother, Princess Diana, tragically passed away. The Royal, known as "the people's princess," died at age 36 in a car crash after paparazzi chased her in Paris, France.

In 2019, Harry had an interview with ITV for the documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey." He spoke with reporter Tom Bradby and said he thinks of his late mother whenever he sees a camera flash.

He said, "Being part of this family, in this role, in this job, every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back. So, in that respect, it's the worst reminder of her life, as opposed to the best."

Harry and Meghan's "near catastrophic" car chase happened a few hours after the Duke was informed that British police aren't for hire. The Prince has been battling the UK government over providing adequate security for his family.

According to a statement by the UK Home Office, allowing Harry to pay for private police would create the idea that "wealthy individuals could 'buy' Protective Security from specialist police officers." Harry's former security was removed after he and Meghan stepped back from being senior Royals in 2020.

Amid the drama over security details, Harry was recently in the UK for his father, King Charles III's official coronation. On the other hand, Meghan was absent from the festivities and stayed in their California home to celebrate their son Archie's birthday.