Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Matt Dunham – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will receive extra security when they visit New York City after the couple were involved in a May 2023 car chase.
According to a New York Police Department letter obtained by NBC New York on Friday, February 29, the police determined in September 2023 that the paparazzi acted in a “reckless” manner when pursuing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. While the pair have not filed charges following the incident, they will receive additional security during their future trips to the Big Apple.
News of Harry and Meghan’s future security detail comes one day after The Daily Beast published a December 2023 statement from the NYPD that revealed the car chase could prompt arrests.
“We found the following: reckless disregard of vehicle and traffic laws and persistently dangerous and unacceptable behavior on the part of the paparazzi during the night in question,” the NYPD intelligence chief wrote to the Metropolitan Police in London. “Our conclusion, upon review with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, is that we have sufficient evidence to arrest two individuals for reckless endangerment.”
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In May 2023, Harry, 38, and Meghan, 42, visited New York City alongside Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, to attend the 2023 Women of Vision Awards. Meghan was one of the many honorees at the awards ceremony.
Upon leaving the venue, the group took a taxi back to their hotel and were followed by a dozen photographers. According to the NYPD, the cameramen used vehicles, scooters and bicycles “in a manner that forced the security team … to take evasive actions on several occasions.”
Following the incident, Harry and Meghan’s reps told Us Weekly in a statement that the pursuit lasted for more than two hours and they encountered “multiple near-collisions” with other drivers, pedestrians and 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,” the spokesperson said in May 2023. “Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
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After the chase made headlines, Harry and Meghan received backlash and were accused of over-exaggerating the event. A source exclusively told Us at the time that the duo were “shocked” by the commentary.
“For people to say otherwise is so hurtful and out of line,” the insider told Us later that month. “As far as staying out of sight and being scared to show their faces, that’s not going to happen. [This has] just strengthened their resolve to keep standing up for themselves and speaking out when they feel wronged.”