Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, survived a “disaster” that almost occurred on Tuesday evening in New York as a result of a “car chase” by “very aggressive celebrity photo hunters,” a spokesman for the couple said in a statement.

The incident occurred on Tuesday night after Harry and Meghan attended an awards ceremony in the US financial capital.

In a statement emailed to AFP, the couple’s spokesperson said Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was with them in the car.

 “Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Lady Ragland were the subjects of an anear-disastrous car chase by a highly aggressive network of paparazzi,” the statement read.

A spokesman for the couple residing in California pointed out that this “intense pursuit, which lasted for about two hours, almost caused a collision with other drivers or with pedestrians and two New York police officers .”

“Being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, but it should never be at the expense of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

encourages a very intrusive practice that is dangerous for all concerned,” the spokesman said.

A New York Police Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident.

At a party for a foundation concerned with women’s issues, Harry (38) and his wife Meghan (41) made an appearance. The highlight of the event was when Meghan received a well-deserved award.

The couple withdrew from the royal family in early 2020 and moved from Britain to the United States, a decision they attributed in part to the media’s intrusive interference in their lives.

Harry has long blamed the press for causing the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi.