Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Involved in Paparazzi Car Chase

In an especially eerie mirror of the tragic circumstances surrounding Princess Diana‘s death, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, along with Markle’s mom Doria Ragland, were involved in a terrifying “car chase” Tuesday night (May 16) after they left a charity event.

According to NBC News, the couple were chased by photographers during a “chaotic” paparazzi car pursuit after they left the Women of Vision Awards at New York’s Ziegfeld Ballroom.

A spokesperson for the couple said that the paparazzi pursuit lasted “two hours.”

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” the spokesperson shared, calling the incident “near catastrophic” and saying it was “at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”

Law enforcement sources told NBC News that the couple was trying to avoid paparazzi finding out where they were staying in NYC’s Upper East Side neighborhood in Manhattan.

The chase allegedly actually lasted for around 75 minutes before the couple and Markle’s mother were able to take refufe in the NYPD’s 19th Precinct Station House for about 15 minutes before securing a new car.

Julian Phillips, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of public information, confirmed they “assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination, and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests in regard,” Phillips said.

“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,” the couple said in their own statement.

Notably and tragically, Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a 1997 car crash in Paris while being chased by paparazzi.