Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will face extra security on future visits to New York City following a so-called “nearly catastrophic” paparazzi car chase in Manhattan in May 2023.
According to a NYPD letter submitted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to a British court, police determined that the paparazzi acted “recklessly” when they followed the royal family in September 2023.
The letter claims arrests could be made as a result of the dangerous car chase, but officials told the Post on Thursday there was not enough evidence to charge anyone.
The Sussexes have not pressed charges regarding the ordeal, but they will face increased levels of security during future trips to the Big Apple.
In a letter to the Metropolitan Police, the NYPD’s intelligence chief said: “We will be increasing the security resources available to the Duke and Duchess during their upcoming visits to the city.”
“We found: a reckless disregard for vehicle and traffic laws, and continued dangerous and unacceptable conduct on the part of the paparazzi during the night in question.”
“After review with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, our conclusion is that there is sufficient evidence to arrest the two men for reckless endangerment,” the letter added.
In May 2023, Prince Harry, 39, and Markle, 42, found themselves at the center of a high-speed car chase after leaving Midtown’s Ziegfeld Theater with Markle’s mother around 9:50 p.m.
The three were followed by paparazzi, but they were unable to snap a photo of the famous couple as they left the venue.
Shortly after, their representatives claimed that the two were “engaged in a near-destructive car chase at the hands of a highly aggressive group of paparazzi.”
Law enforcement officials described a less dramatic ordeal, saying the chase lasted only about an hour as the family switched to a yellow taxi to try to throw the dads off their trail.
A private security vehicle and an NYPD vehicle then accompanied the three men in their car, with a “large” media presence in attendance, officials said.
The NYPD said there were no 911 calls or crash reports related to the incident.
Earlier this week, London’s High Court said wild paparazzi had acted in “reckless” and “consistently dangerous conduct” as they pursued the Sussexes through Manhattan, as part of its decision to reject Prince’s state-funded security. He cited an official letter from the New York City Police Department.
and in between 52 page judgmentan article published Wednesday found “reckless” and “unacceptable” conduct by the paparazzi — which police said made the situation worse by Harry and Megan’s security failing to comply with the NYPD’s proposed stop. the official said.
This week, the Sussexes sensationally lost a taxpayer-funded bid for Britain’s security. This means that Prince Harry will have to pay for security out of his own pocket when he visits his hometown.
It was later revealed that when Prince Harry and Markle’s security protection was stripped in February 2020, Prince Harry demanded to know the name of the person responsible for downgrading British police protection.
