Last night (May 16), Prince Harry and his wife ,Meghan Markle, were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” according to a spokesperson for the family. The pair, along with Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, were traveling to a friend’s private residence when the incident took place.

“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. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers,” a statement obtained by People claimed. As many recall, in 1997, Prince Harry’s mother, Diana, princess of Wales, died in France after a vehicle she traveled in was also mercilessly pursued by paparazzi. The Duke and his brother, Prince William, were just children at the time.

Prince Harry and Markle’s spokesperson added, “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.” It continued, “Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”

Before the New York car chase, Prince Harry and Ms. Ragland were supporting Markle as she was honored earlier that evening at the Ms. Foundation 2023 Women of Vision Awards in Manhattan. Following the claims, the NYPD 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.”

Earlier this year, Prince Harry released his memoir, “Spare.” In it, the 38-year-old opened up about his first time driving through the Pont de l’Alma — the tunnel where his mother died. “The World Cup provided me with a driver, and on my first night in the City of Light, I asked him if he knew [the location],” an excerpt reads. After requesting the chauffeur take him to the site and drive at the exact speed police recorded in their incident report, the then-23-year-old recalled saying, “Is that all of it? It’s nothing. Just a straight tunnel.” He added, “No reason anyone should ever die inside it.”