In a ruling regarding Prince Harry’s security while in the UK, new details have emerged about the paparazzi incident in New York City last spring—during which Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” incident, per a spokesperson.
This morning, High Court Judge Peter Lane wrote that the British government was allowed to downgrade Prince Harry police protection. In his ruling, the judge referenced a letter from New York Police Department’s head of intelligence, John B. Hart, about the May 2023 incident. Hart writes that after an investigation, there was sufficient evidence to arrest two individuals for reckless endangerment, and that the paparazzi behaved dangerously and recklessly that evening.
This contradicts the NYPD’s statement at the time, where they said, “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.”
In May, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s spokesperson characterized the incident as a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”
They added the pursuit lasted for more than two hours, and “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. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved.”
Their press secretary, Ashley Hansen, said at the time, “I have never experienced their vulnerability as much as I did last night. They were incredibly scared and shaken up. There were instances where the police confronted the paparazzi and had asked them to stop or give them space, to do this safely. Unfortunately, that wish was not respected.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
