In May 2023, returning from the Women of Vision Awards that took place at New York’s Ziegfeld Ballroom, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, were chased by a number of paparazzi who came in four and two-wheelers. The vehicles pursued Meghan’s car for nearly two hours just to find where the couple and Meghan’s mother were lodged during their stay in the city.
As Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson noted in a statement the next day, “Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers.”
However, what the couple’s statement highlighted as “near catastrophic” was described by the New York Police Department (NYPD) as something “that made their transport challenging.” A statement from the NYPD reported, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination, and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard” (via CNN). That said, the couple and Doria were ultimately provided with police protection to get away from the paparazzi. Catastrophic or challenging, being chased by aggressive paparazzi must have been traumatizing for the couple, given that it’s something that caused Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, to lose her life.
