The royal family will not be issuing any statement on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s car chase claims, according to a new report.
A source told Entertainment Tonight that neither Buckingham nor Kensington Palace will be commenting on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s allegations of a car chase.
“Since Harry and Meghan have stepped back from royal duties, the palace generally does not comment on their activities,” the source told the outlet.
The Post has reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.
A source told Page Six that no one from the royal family — neither King Charles III and Queen Camilla, nor Prince William and Kate Middleton — has checked in on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after the incident.
Harry and Meghan were reportedly involved in a “near-catastrophic” two-hour paparazzi chase in New York City on Tuesday night.
They were returning from the Women of Vision Awards at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, where Meghan was honored by Gloria Steinem for her advocacy, along with Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland.
“It started off with 12 paparazzi, then ended up with four chasing [Meghan, Harry and Doria],” an insider told Page Six. “Their security tried their best to lose [photographers].”
A spokesperson for the NYPD said the incident was under investigation — but said while the scene was hectic, overall it was under control.
“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” the NYPD said in a statement to The Post. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”
A spokesperson for Meghan and Harry said in a statement Wednesday that they 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,” the 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.”
Photo agency Backgrid USA has spoken out about the incident, claiming that their photographers “had no intention of causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras.”
“At Backgrid USA Inc., we value transparency and ethics in journalism, which include providing fair and factual responses to claims,” the company said in a statement to ET. “We are aware of Prince Harry’s statement regarding an alleged ‘near catastrophic car chase’ involving himself, Meghan Markle, and her mother, in New York City on Tuesday night.”
“We want to clarify that we have received photos and videos of last night’s events from four freelance photographers, three of whom were in cars and one of whom was riding a bicycle,” the statement continued. “It is important to note that these photographers have a professional responsibility to cover newsworthy events and personalities, including public figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.”
“We are taking Prince Harry’s allegations seriously and will be conducting a thorough investigation into the matter,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, in an interview with The Post, taxi driver Sukhcharn “Sonny” Singh, who ultimately brought the couple to their destination, said the incident was “pretty crazy” but “it wasn’t scary.”
ET’s source also said that Meghan and Harry “were fearful. Certainly, the memories and echoes of what happened to Harry’s mother was front of mind.”
This incident drew many comparisons to the paparazzi car chase that led to Princess Diana being killed in a crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997.
Harry, who was 12 years old when his mother died, has been vocal about his feelings toward the paparazzi, and has previously said that he mourns his mother “every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash.”
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