Prince Harry and Meghan Markle demanded that a photo agency hand over the footage snapped by paparazzi after their “near-catastrophic car chase” Tuesday night.
Per TMZ, the embattled royals — who were in New York City the night of the alleged chase — said they need the footage to improve their security.
“We hereby demand that Backgrid immediately provide us with copies of all photos, videos, and/or films taken last night by the freelance photographers after the couple left their event and over the next several hours,” their lawyers said in a letter to the agency.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are demanding Backgrid hand over footage taken by their paps following the “near catastrophic” car crash on Tuesday night.Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women
However, Backgrid refused to do so.GC ImagesHowever, Backgrid’s lawyers shot back with a snarky letter of their own, “In America, as I’m sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it: Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them, as perhaps Kings can do.
“Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago. We stand by our founding fathers.”
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Not only did Backgrind refuse to hand over the footage, but they had also previously denied the royals’ claims.
“According to the photographers present, there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during this incident,” Backgrid USA told Page Six in a statement Wednesday. “The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point.”
The couple had claimed that they were chased by paps “aggressively” for over two hours.Getty Images Ms. Foundation for WomenThe agency denied the claims that the couple was chased by “highly aggressive paparazzi,” saying its hired photographers had no intention of “causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras.”
“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,” the agency added, before noting that it values “transparency and ethics” in journalism, including “providing fair and factual responses to claims.”
Nevertheless, the company said they will continue to look into the incident.
Backgrid responded by saying that their photographers had no intention of “causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras.”TheImageDirect.comPage Six reported Wednesday that Harry, 38, Markle, and Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, were “extremely upset and shaken” after being chased for two hours in what could have been a “near-catastrophic” incident.
After the “Suits” alum, 41, received an award at the 2023 Women of Vision ceremony, the trio got in an SUV at around 10 p.m. They claimed they were immediately followed by more than 10 photographers.
After not being able to shake off the paps, the couple, as well as Ragland and their security guards, jumped into a yellow cab in an effort to escape.
A source claimed to us that one photographer hit a car and another almost ran over an NYPD officer during the “near-fatal” chase.
In an effort to lose the swarm of paps, the couple allegedly hopped into a yellow cab.Twitter/anDrew via REUTERS“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,” a rep for the Sussexes added in a statement to Page Six.
“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.”
However, following their allegations, eyewitnesses claimed the couple exaggerated the incident.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination, and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests in regard,” the New York City Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday, addressing their allegations.
A police source, however, claimed that no calls of distress were made.APThe NYPD added that it “assisted” the royals’ private security team in keeping them safe.
A high-ranking police source told The Post that no emergency calls were made to report the chase and that the NYPD only had one car surveying the situation.
“[The chase] definitely wasn’t two hours,” the police insider added.
Mayor Eric Adams later confirmed that, according to a briefing he received, two NYPD officers “could have been injured.”
“I don’t think there are many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s mom, Princess Diana] died. It would be horrific to lose innocent bystanders during a chase like this and [for] something to have happened to them as well,” Adams said, referring to the late Princess of Wales dying in a 1997 car crash in Paris involving paparazzi.
Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, had died in a similar manner.MEGA Despite the eerie similarities to Diana’s cause of death, members of the royal family have not checked in on Harry and Markle since the incident.
A source told Page Six that neither King Charles III and Queen Camilla, nor Prince William and Kate Middleton, have contacted the Sussexes.
Reps for Harry and Markle did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
