After attending a gala event in New York on Tuesday 17 May, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and his mother Doria Ragland were allegedly chased by paparazzi for more than two hours. A scene that the photo agency involved seriously questions this Thursday, May 18.
The scene described seems to come straight out of a Hollywood action movie, with a chase lasting more than two hours, slaloms between pedestrians, running lights, and swerving on the pavements. The whole thing, in the streets of the Big Apple, is what Meghan Markle, her mother Doria Ragland and Prince Harry experienced, according to the couple’s spokesperson. On Tuesday 16 May, after the Women of Vision Awards ceremony – which rewarded the Suits star for her commitment to women and girls – a horde of paparazzi violently chased them, and the outcome “could have been catastrophic. These facts were widely denied by the police, but not only.
The Backgrid agency, which hired the journalists to capture their outing, described a very different story on Thursday 18 May. “The journalists on duty on Tuesday had no intention of causing distress or harm, their only tool was their camera. Some of the shots even show Meghan Markle smiling inside a taxi.” The agency also added that there was never any risk of an accident during the journey, and that the couple never appeared to be in danger.
Meghan and Harry: Alone against all odds
In the aftermath of the nerve-wracking evening, Sukhcharn Singh, the taxi driver who escorted the family, gave his opinion to Sky News about the famous chase. “I don’t think I would call it a chase. I never felt like I was in danger. He added: “It wasn’t like a chase in a movie. They were calm and seemed scared, but this is New York, it’s safe. This is a far cry from the descriptions in the press release: “The fierce chase, which lasted more than two hours, resulted in multiple near-miss collisions involving other drivers on the road, as well as pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”
For their part, the police also issued a public statement, in order to shed light on what really happened. There were apparently a lot of photographers, which made transportation “difficult.” However, the Duke and Duchess were able to arrive at their destination without any major problems. “No collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests were reported.”
While this story was reminiscent of the tragic death of Princess Diana, it would seem that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were the only ones who feared for their lives that night. “Prince Harry and Meghan’s credibility has been destroyed once again,” said GB News reporter Dan Wootton.
We untangle the real from the fake
After attending the Women of Vision Awards in New York on Tuesday 16 May, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were caught up in a chase. While the accounts of the chase do not coincide, the BBC has gathered all the accounts to get to the bottom of the story.
What really happened? While in New York for the Woman in Vision award on Tuesday 16 May, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were caught in a car chase. Omid Scobie, a spokesperson for the couple, gave more details on Wednesday 17 May on his Twitter account. “Last night the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Doria Ragland were involved in a car chase with some very aggressive paparazzi that could have proved catastrophic,” he posted. The chase, “which lasted more than two hours, resulted in numerous collisions with other drivers, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. The Backgrid photography agency seriously questioned these accusations.
Since then, many Internet users have questioned the veracity of the different accounts of this evening. In order to shed light on this chase, the BBC decided to investigate. To do so, the British media looked into the statements of police sources obtained by CBS News. After circling the room for an hour to escape the photographers, Lilibet and Archie’s parents “went to the 19th Precinct Police Station of the New York Police Department to change vehicles”. It was there that the couple got into “a taxi driven by Sukhcharn ‘Sonny’ Singh.” The driver revealed that he turned the vehicle around when it was targeted by the paparazzi. Mr Singh said the couple “looked nervous” about what was going on, but that the paparazzi were not aggressive. He said the Sussex spokesman’s account was “exaggerated”. For its part, the New York Police Department said in a press release that it had assisted the couple’s private security team during their “difficult” return home. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and no collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests were reported,” it said. New revelations that once again call into question the credibility of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Harry and Meghan Markle “shaken” after the chase
Although their version is disputed, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle say they are “extremely upset” by this episode, as revealed by a close source in the columns of Page Six. And for good reason, this chase has brought back a painful memory for Prince William’s brother. The chase was reminiscent of Princess Diana’s tragic death in Paris in August 1997.
Omid Scobie, the author of the book Finding Freedom, also gave an update on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Twitter. He said a source close to the couple said they were “understandably shaken but grateful” that everyone was “safe”, as was Dorian Ragland, who was also involved in the incident. More fear than harm.
Photo credits: Backgrid USA / Bestimage