British Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle faced a long and highly publicized chase through New York on the evening of May 16, with a swarm of paparazzi in pursuit. The incident drew immediate attention from CNN and other Western outlets that evening and in the days that followed.
The episode followed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland as they left the Women of Vision Awards ceremony at the Ziegfeld theater in downtown Manhattan. After departing the event, they were trailed by photographers and drivers intent on capturing every moment.
According to a spokesperson for the royal couple, last night involved a dangerous collision course driven by aggressive photographers. The pursuit stretched for more than two hours and led to several accidents involving other drivers, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers. The spokesperson emphasized that while public attention is inevitable for figures of their stature, safety must come first.
A law enforcement source confirmed to CNN that after leaving the Ziegfeld theater, Harry and Meghan were followed by paparazzi in cars, motorcycles, and scooters, with the royal couple’s vehicle escorted by police. They repeatedly maneuvered to avoid collisions as journalists swarmed along the route. The police source noted multiple traffic violations during the chase, but there were no serious injuries reported.
The Guardian reported that the chase involved at least six cars with darkened windows and warned that the photographers’ behavior could have proved deadly. Alleged offenses included driving on sidewalks, running red lights, reversing on one-way streets, using phones while driving, snapping photos while behind the wheel, and interfering with a moving vehicle.
Confrontations with officers occurred as the chase continued, but the photographers persisted in following Harry and Meghan’s car. In the images captured during the pursuit, Harry, Meghan, and their mother were seen riding in the rear seat of a New York taxi as the sequence unfolded.
Hours later, police in New York stated that a tailing convoy had remained about an hour behind the couple but was under the protection of the escort. A police source told The New York Post that there were no official reports of clashes along emergency lines in relation to the Sussex family’s movement. Another account indicated that paparazzi drew near two police officers after the couple left the Ziegfeld at about 9:50 p.m.
A witness described the chase as a single car pursuit that did not last the two hours claimed by some observers. The conversation around the incident reflected long-standing concerns about media intrusion into the lives of royal family members and the toll it takes on their safety and privacy.
Prince Harry has repeatedly spoken about the aggression and obsession exhibited by some journalists and paparazzi toward his family. He has spoken openly about how this attention feels personal and painful, given the history surrounding his mother, Princess Diana, and the tragic events that followed. The loss of Diana in 1997, in a Paris tunnel crash alongside Dodi al-Fayed, has long been cited by the prince as a reminder of the dangers of aggressive tabloid pursuit. Investigations into that accident attributed it to factors including the driver’s speed and impaired judgment, though public sentiment has often focused on the role of relentless paparazzi chasing Diana that night.
Harry has drawn parallels between the press scrutiny faced by his mother and the relentless attention his own family encounters. He has described the era of his mother’s time as marked by aggressive camera presence and constant pursuit, a pattern that he believes persists today in various forms of media coverage.
In 2020, the couple received an apology from X17 for illegal drone use to photograph their child Archie. That same year, they faced residency pressures in Los Angeles as photographers located their whereabouts, prompting security measures at a friend’s home for privacy. The same year, Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the United States, seeking to reduce the intrusion of constant media attention. They initially stayed with friends before renting accommodations to avoid affecting their networks and routines.
Prince Harry remains involved in several legal initiatives aimed at challenging certain media practices used to obtain information about his family. He has also expressed concerns about the ability to rely on police protection while in the United Kingdom, advocating for consistent safety measures wherever he travels.