The Mayor of New York has slammed the paparazzi after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry claimed they were the victims of a "near catastrophic" car chase caused by the media on Tuesday night.
Eric Adams called the terrifying incident "reckless and irresponsible" in a press conference last night as he criticised the behaviour of the photographers involved, the Mirror reports.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes' said there were "multiple near collisions" which also put members of the public in "jeopardy" and described paparazzi as "highly aggressive".
Adams defended the royal couple as he stated that their safety should be a priority over the desire for capturing the perfect photograph for publications.
Speaking of the dangers over car chases in such a traffic congested city, he said: “New York City is different from a small town somewhere. You shouldn’t be speeding anywhere but this is a densely populated city”.
The mayor also touched on Princess Diana's death in 1997 which was caused by a paparazzi flee in Paris.
He said: "I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how Prince Harry's mom died and it would be horrific to lose innocent bystanders during a chase like this, and something to have happened to them as well, so I think we have to be extremely responsible.
“I thought that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.”
Meghan, Harry and Meghan's mother Doria Ragland were pursued after leaving the Ziegfeld Theatre in midtown after the Duchess received an award at the Women of Vision ceremony.
The trio climbed into the back of a yellow cab at around 10pm on Tuesday evening and their vehicle was relentlessly followed by around 12 paparazzi who were chasing them in cars, motorbikes and scooters.
The taxi driver who transported the royals has also spoke out about the car chase and has somewhat downplayed how dangerous the incident was.
Sukhcharn Singh, who drove the royals for part of the journey, said they were being followed by photographers and said the Sussexes' "seemed scared" - but he personally "never felt in danger".
Harry and Meghan left the awards in their SUV with a police escort but as paparazzi charged after them, they were forced to divert to NYPD's 19th Precinct on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Once outside, they used the SUV and police vehicles that followed them to block off the road and transfer the couple into a yellow cab but the desperate photographers were still able to follow them.
One cameraman supposedly hit a car during the chaotic pursuit while another almost knocked down a police officer.
At least one of the paparazzi following the royals is said to have run a red light, reversed down a one-way street and also mounted the pavement.
The Royal Family have not commented on the incident.
The New York Police Department said in a statement: "On Tuesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests in regard.”
A spokesperson who released a statement on behalf of the couple confirmed they were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase."
They said: "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,” read the statement.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.
“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.”
Entertainment picture agency Backgrid issued a statement to say they are investigating the actions of several of their freelance photographers.
It added that their initial account of the incident differed to what the Sussexes have said about the situation: "The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point".
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