New findings from a New York Police Department investigation into Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s “near catastrophic car chase” last May are corroborating the couple’s recollection of the evening.
In a letter sent on December 6 from the NYPD to London’s Metropolitan Police, Chief of Intelligence John Hart confirmed the “dangerous” and “reckless” paparazzi pursuit of Harry, Meghan, and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, following their appearance at the Ms. Foundation 2023 Women of Vision Awards on May 16. The event had honored Meghan for her work in advocating for women’s issues across the globe.
The letter, obtained by the Daily Beast, is one of various documents released in relation to the High Court’s ruling over Harry’s legal battle to overturn a government decision that reduced his level of police protection in the U.K. Its contents claims that the NYPD has “sufficient evidence to arrest two individuals for reckless endangerment.”
The investigation was conducted via interviews with responding police officers and members of the private security team hired by Harry and Meghan, as well as through analysis of live video footage, media coverage, and social media posts.
While no formal charges were made on the night of the vehicular pursuit, Hart writes that the investigation found “reckless disregard of vehicle and traffic laws and persistently dangerous and unacceptable behavior on the part of the paparazzi during the night in question.” He adds, “The individuals operated vehicles, scooters, and bicycles in a manner that forced the security team, which included an NYPD Lead Car, to take evasive actions on several occasions and a circuitous route to avoid being struck by pursuing vehicles or trapped on side blocks.”
As a result of these findings, Hart says that “certain changes” will be made to the security for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s future visits to New York.
The day after the car chase, a Sussex spokesperson released a statement that denounced the paparazzi’s “relentless pursuit” of Meghan and Harry.
“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,” the statement read. “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. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved.”
The NYPD findings came to light a day after Harry lost his lawsuit to secure automatic police protection during visits to his home country, a right that was stripped from him following his and Meghan’s 2020 decision to step back as senior members of the royal family. The U.K.’s High Court ultimately ruled that the Home Office’s Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) did not act irrationally or unreasonably by reducing the Sussexes’s taxpayer-funded security status
The Home Office later said the security status for Harry’s visits home would be decided on a case-by-case basis, with “bespoke arrangements, specifically tailored to him,” per the BBC.
“The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of RAVEC’s own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with RAVEC’s own written policy,” a spokesperson for Hary told Harper’s Bazaar. “In February 2020, RAVEC failed to apply its written policy to the Duke of Sussex and excluded him from a particular risk analysis. The Duke’s case is that the so-called ‘bespoke process’ that applies to him is no substitute for that risk analysis.”
As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers’ rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
