Adedokun Waliyu 
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, his wife, have been involved in a “near catastrophic” car accident after being followed by paparazzi in New York.
The incident occurred on Tuesday after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an awards ceremony in the city.
Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, also accompanied the couple to attend the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards.
Harry’s spokesperson, in a statement, described the paparazzi as “a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous.”
The spokesperson said the car chase lasted for more than two hours, adding that paparazzi should never come at the expense of safety.
“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 (NYPD) officers,” the prince’s spokesperson said.
“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.
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
Meghan received a ‘Woman of Vision’ award at the ceremony.
In her speech, the Duchess of Sussex encouraged women to fight for equity.
“It’s never too late to start. You can be the visionary of your own life… there is still so much work to be done,” Markle said.
The incident reportedly happened after the couple’s first public appearance together since King Charles III’s coronation earlier this month.
