Harry and Meghan involved in a ‘near catastrophic’ car chase in New York, a spokesperson claims

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a “near catastrophic” car chase while being followed by paparazzi in New York, the couple’s spokesman said.

They were in town on Tuesday with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, for an event that saw the Duchess receive an award.

The three were said to have been subjected to a “relentless chase” involving half a dozen blacked-out vehicles.

In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesman for Harry and Meghan said: ‘Last night the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Mrs Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a group of very aggressive paparazzi.

This relentless pursuit, which lasted more than two hours, resulted in multiple near misses involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.

While being a public figure comes with a degree of public interest, it should never come at the expense of one’s safety.

“Distribution of these images, given the way they were obtained, encourages a very intrusive practice that is dangerous for all involved.”

The trio attended the Ms Foundation for Women’s 50th anniversary gala, which honored “pioneering” grantee partners and visionary leaders committed to the organization’s mission to “promote collective power and create a secure, just and equitable future for women, girls and women’. gender-expansive people’.

Meghan received the Women of Vision Award from the Ms Foundation, which recognizes her “global advocacy to empower and advocate for women and girls.”

It was Harry and Meghan’s first public appearance together since the Duchess’s absence from the King’s coronation earlier this month.

Harry and Meghan are said to accept more attention when they are at public events, and in this case, they left and entered the venue publicly, allowing photographers to snap photos.

In a statement, the New York Police Department said: “On Tuesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

‘There were plenty of photographers who made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reports of any clashes, summonses, injuries or arrests in relation to.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said it is “reckless and irresponsible” for someone to chase people in vehicles in the densely populated city.

The mayor said he has not received a full briefing on the incident, but expressed concern over reports of “multiple near misses involving other road users, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”

He said: ‘Obviously the press, the paparazzi want to get the right picture.

“But public safety must always come first.”

Mayor Adams said even a 10-minute incident could be “extremely dangerous.”

He added, “New York City is unlike a small town anywhere. You’re not allowed to speed anywhere, but this is a densely populated city.’

At the Ms Foundation for Women’s 50th anniversary gala event, Meghan Markle borrowed the Queen’s mantra by hailing “daily acts of service” as she urged women to be “the visionary of your own life”. to be” as she accepted a feminist award at a gala in New York – in a boost for her American go-around.

Addressing the event at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom last night, the Duchess told the crowd, “It’s just never too late to start.” You can be the visionary of your own life.

“You can chart a path in which what you repeat in your daily acts of service, in kindness, in advocacy, in mercy, and in fairness, become those things that will be recognized by the next wave of women, both young and old, who are also will choose this moment to join the movement and make our vision for a just world a reality.”

The California-based couple were joined yesterday by Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland. And the Duchess’s comments on the service were noteworthy, as her brother-in-law, Prince William, paid tribute to Charles’ “service” at the coronation concert at Windsor Castle on May 7.

William had said, ‘Even though parties are great, the core of the pomp and circumstance is a simple message. Employ. My father’s first words when he entered Westminster Abbey yesterday were a promise of service. It was a promise to keep serving.”

And on May 8, at the end of the bank holiday weekend, Charles issued a message urging that he and Queen Camilla “rededicate our lives to serving the people of the United Kingdom, the wealthy and the Commonwealth.”

Queen Elizabeth II famously said on her 21st birthday in a speech broadcast from South Africa in 1947: “I declare before you that my whole life, be it long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service to our great imperial family to which we all belong.’

Meghan’s words were also remembered when she and Harry made a statement in February 2021 after Buckingham Palace confirmed they would step down as working royals, saying, “We can all live a life of service.” Service is universal.’

The Duchess’s relaunch — dubbed “Meghan 2.0” — has already seen her speaking about mental health to youth in Santa Barbara and dining with Hollywood stars including Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow over the past week.

Harry joined Meghan at the ceremony — where tickets cost a whopping $1,500 and tables cost a minimum of $15,000 — to watch her receive the Women of Vision award from Ms. Steinem.

During the event, Meghan took the stage to receive her award and made her way to the stage to the sounds of Alicia Keys’ hit Girl on Fire.

Once on stage, the Duchess gave American journalist and activist Gloria Steinem a warm hug before moving to address the crowd, thanking guests for the “warm welcome” and describing Ms. Steinem as her “friend”.

She also praised the 89-year-old “for the inspiration you are, for your mentorship, your sage advice, your extraordinarily cheeky sense of humor and, of course, for your incredible friendship.”

Meghan then congratulated the evening’s other award winners, praising them for the “important and meaningful work you are doing.”

“While I was familiar with most of your work before tonight, nothing could match the focus, the determination, the energy I feel from each of you, especially as we all bear witness that you stand in the elegance and the power of your power,’ she continued.

And I remember them vividly because the pictures were different. There was a diversity I hadn’t seen that often, both in color and age, and the names were different.

“There were congresswomen, there were astronauts, and the subjects were different. From motherhood to being a working mother to more serious topics such as domestic violence, the poverty line, uncovering the roots, where it comes from and issues of justice.’

Like other websites, MailOnline published photos of Harry and Meghan for a few hours this morning.

The agency’s photos were captioned showing Harry and Meghan getting into a taxi after the event and were published on that basis. When it turned out that the photos had been taken at a different location some time later, they were removed.