Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are said to have been involved in an "almost catastrophic" car chase, according to British media reports. As reported by the BBC, citing a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry, Meghan and Meghan's mother were on their way back from an award show in New York. Paparazzi are said to have been involved in the chase. According to the spokesperson, the incident resulted in "multiple near-collisions with other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two New York City police officers." Initially, there was no other source for the incident.

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) later gave a less dramatic account. Harry Meghan's private security team had been supported. "There were many photographers who made the transport a challenge," the NYPD said in a statement on Wednesday. In the end, however, the couple arrived at their destination – "and there were no reported accidents, court summonses, injuries or arrests in this regard".

Supposedly chase like from an action movie

New York Mayor Eric Adams condemned the incident as "reckless and irresponsible." "It's clear that the press, the paparazzi, want to get the right photos," said New York Mayor Adams on Wednesday afternoon (local time) in response to a question at a press conference on another topic. "But public safety must always take precedence." He had been told that two police officers could have been injured. However, he finds it "hard to believe" that the incident should have lasted two hours. In view of the masses of vehicles and people on the streets of New York, however, even a minute-long chase can be "extremely dangerous".

According to the Guardian, the chase lasted more than two hours. "While there is always some public interest in well-known personalities, anyone's safety should never be compromised," the couple's spokesman warned.

According to dpa information from the couple's environment, scenes are said to have taken place like in an action movie, which could have ended "fatally". Six vehicles with blacked-out windows raced recklessly around the convoy of celebrities. Cars raced along the sidewalk and shot over red lights, reversed on a one-way street and blocked a moving car. The drivers would have photographed at the wheel and made phone calls.

Memories of Lady Di

Although confronted several times by uniformed police officers, they sped away to continue the pursuit. There are recordings of security guards documenting what happened. However, there are no immediate plans to make such film recordings public, said a spokeswoman for the couple on dpa request. As the dpa learned, the couple stayed with friends and did not want to lead the paparazzi to their address.

The incident brings back memories of the tragic accident of Harry's mother, Lady Di, who had also been pursued by paparazzi before her death. At the time, however, the driver was to blame for the accident, who was under the influence of alcohol. The theory that the celebrity photographers were to blame for Diana's accident was dismissed by courts.

The described incident in New York is likely to cause further damage to the already miserable relationship of the 38-year-old Harry with the tabloid press. Again and again, Harry strongly reproaches the British "tabloids" for the death of his mother. In a BBC documentary, he once said: "Every time she went out, there was a crowd of people waiting for her. Like a pack of dogs, they followed her, chased her, harassed her, insulted her, spat on her, tried to get a reaction, that one photo of her beating around."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said goodbye to the front row of royals in 2020, and since then the couple has lived in the US state of California. Since then, they have repeatedly caused a stir and resentment in the United Kingdom with clear criticism of the royal family. Harry recently attended the coronation of his father, King Charles III, in London; Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, stayed away from the ceremony.