The tragic specter of Princess Diana of Wales, who died in Paris in August 1997 in a traffic accident to which a paparazzi chase contributed, was projected on Tuesday over her son, Prince Harry, in New York.
According to his spokesman, the youngest son of King Carlos III, his wife Meghan Markle and his mother Doria Ragland, were about to be involved in "an almost catastrophic accident" due to the persecution of journalists in Manhattan. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in the Big Apple because Meghan picked up a Woman of Vision award, the first time they were seen together after the coronation ceremony, which she did not attend.
“The relentless pursuit, which lasted for more than two hours, resulted in multiple collisions involving other drivers on the streets, bystanders, and two New York Police (NYPD) officers,” the spokeswoman said in the statement released. to the Reuters agency.
"Knowing that personalities of this type face a level of public interest, this should never carry the cost of security," he added.
The three guests left the Ziegfeld Theater, where journalist and activist Gloria Steinem paid tribute to Meghan Markle, and took a taxi. It was around ten at night. Immediately, in that Times Square setting, they found themselves surrounded by at least a dozen paparazzi in cars, motorcycles and scooters who performed dangerous maneuvers, even encroaching on sidewalks and endangering pedestrians.
A small group of policemen gave them cover, since they no longer have crown protection since their resignation in 2020 and their move to California in search of safety, nor do they have diplomatic deployment as private citizens. However, the uniformed officers were overwhelmed by the aggressive perseverance of the pursuers, who on several occasions evaded the police cordon to continue the hunt.
A situation of chaos ensued, which Enrique himself recorded with his cell phone, in which a cameraman hit a car and another was about to take a uniformed man ahead, always according to the NYPD version. They claim that Meghan's mother was totally horrified.
At a certain point, the agents decided to take the three of them to a police station (precinct 19) so that things would calm down and that they could then leave in peace. Police sources assured that, ultimately, nothing happened to the Dukes of Sussex, except the scare.
This Wednesday morning there had been no arrests, although the police had license plates to identify some of those involved.
