Harry, Meghan demand photograph company give them footage of ‘near-death’ automotive chase

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle demanded {that a} photograph company hand over the footage snapped by paparazzi after their “near-catastrophic automotive chase” Tuesday night time.

Per TMZ, the embattled royals — who had been in New York Metropolis the night time of the alleged chase — stated they want the footage to enhance their safety.

“We hereby demand that Backgrid instantly present us with copies of all pictures, movies, and/or movies taken final night time by the freelance photographers after the couple left their occasion and over the subsequent a number of hours,” their legal professionals stated in a letter to the company.

Nonetheless, Backgrid’s legal professionals shot again with a snarky letter of their very own, “In America, as I’m certain you already know, property belongs to the proprietor of it: Third events can’t simply demand it’s given to them, as maybe Kings can do.

“Maybe it’s best to sit down along with your shopper and advise them that his English guidelines of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown had been rejected by this nation way back. We stand by our founding fathers.”

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Not solely did Backgrind refuse at hand over the footage, however they’d additionally beforehand denied the royals’ claims.

“In line with the photographers current, there have been no near-collisions or near-crashes throughout this incident,” Backgrid USA advised Web page Six in a press release Wednesday. “The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in rapid hazard at any level.”

The company denied the claims that the couple was chased by “extremely aggressive paparazzi,” saying its employed photographers had no intention of “inflicting any misery or hurt, as their solely software was their cameras.”

“It is very important observe that these photographers have knowledgeable accountability to cowl newsworthy occasions and personalities, together with public figures akin to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,” the company added, earlier than noting that it values “transparency and ethics” in journalism, together with “offering honest and factual responses to claims.”

Nonetheless, the corporate stated they are going to proceed to look into the incident.

Web page Six reported Wednesday that Harry, 38, Markle, and Markle’s mom, Doria Ragland, had been “extraordinarily upset and shaken” after being chased for 2 hours in what may have been a “near-catastrophic” incident.

After the “Fits” alum, 41, obtained an award on the 2023 Girls of Imaginative and prescient ceremony, the trio bought in an SUV at round 10 p.m. They claimed they had been instantly adopted by greater than 10 photographers.

After not having the ability to shake off the paps, the couple, in addition to Ragland and their safety guards, jumped right into a yellow cab in an effort to flee.

A supply claimed to us that one photographer hit a automotive and one other nearly ran over an NYPD officer through the “near-fatal” chase.

“Final night time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland had been concerned in a close to catastrophic automotive chase by the hands of a hoop of extremely aggressive paparazzi,” a rep for the Sussexes added in a press release to Web page Six.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in a number of close to collisions involving different drivers on the highway, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. Whereas being a public determine comes with a degree of curiosity from the general public, it ought to by no means come at the price of anybody’s security.”

Nonetheless, following their allegations, eyewitnesses claimed the couple exaggerated the incident.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their vacation spot, and there have been no reported collisions, summonses, accidents or arrests in regard,” the New York Metropolis Police Division stated in a press release on Wednesday, addressing their allegations.

The NYPD added that it “assisted” the royals’ personal safety crew in preserving them protected.

A high-ranking police supply advised The Put up that no emergency calls had been made to report the chase and that the NYPD solely had one automotive surveying the state of affairs.

“[The chase] undoubtedly wasn’t two hours,” the police insider added.

Mayor Eric Adams later confirmed that, in accordance with a briefing he obtained, two NYPD officers “may have been injured.”

“I don’t suppose there are lots of of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s mom, Princess Diana] died. It could be horrific to lose harmless bystanders throughout a chase like this and [for] one thing to have occurred to them as nicely,” Adams stated, referring to the late Princess of Wales dying in a 1997 automotive crash in Paris involving paparazzi.

Regardless of the eerie similarities to Diana’s reason behind loss of life, members of the royal household haven’t checked in on Harry and Markle for the reason that incident.

A supply advised Web 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 didn’t instantly reply to Web page Six’s requests for remark.