© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Harry and Meghan were chased by paparazzi in New York, their spokesperson says

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at United Nations headquarters in July 2022.
Seth Wenig
/
AP
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at United Nations headquarters in July 2022.

Updated May 17, 2023 at 5:53 PM ET

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, were involved in a car chase with paparazzi after attending an event in New York City on Tuesday, which a spokesperson described as "near catastrophic."

"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two [New York Police Department] officers," the spokesperson said in a statement shared with NPR.

"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," they added.

NYPD deputy commissioner Julian Phillips said in a statement that police assisted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's private security team Tuesday evening.

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

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said it was "reckless and irresponsible" for the paparazzi to chase the group in the way that was described.

"I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how [Harry's] mom died, and it would horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well," he said.

Harry's mother, Princess Diana, died in a 1997 car crash in Paris as the vehicle she was riding in was being pursued by the paparazzi. She was 36. Harry is 38.

Adams questioned whether the pursuit unfolded at high speeds the whole time. However, he said, any car chase through the densely populated city is perilous.

"I would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high-speed chase," he said. "We will find out the exact duration of it. But if it's 10 minutes, a 10-minute chase is extremely dangerous in New York City"

Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, was also in the vehicle. The group was apparently tailed by half a dozen vehicles with blacked-out windows.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Joe Hernandez
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content