Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle - as well as her mother Doria Ragland - were said to have been involved in a "near catastrophic" car chase in which they were pursued by paparazzi. The incident was confirmed to Sky News by the couple's spokesperson.
"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers," the spokesperson said.
They continued: "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 trio were reportedly pursued by several blacked out cars, with the incident having occurred after Meghan and Harry's attendance at an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday (May 16).
Harry's mother - Diana, Princess of Wales - famously died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997 when Harry was just 12 years old.
Diana and her partner Dodi Al Fayed were being driven in the French capital and were relentlessly chased by paparazzi when the fatal crash happened.
The recent paparazzi car chase comes more than three years after Meghan and Harry shared with the world that they intend to step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family.
In a statement posted on their official Instagram account, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote:
"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.
"We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.
"We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support."
Since then their family has expanded from a family of three to a family four, with the couple raising their two children - Archie, four, and Lilibet, one - in Santa Barbara, California.
It's been a tumultuous time for the UK's royal family, with Harry having made a string of allegations about his time as a senior royal (including some scathing claims about his older brother Prince William) in his memoir, Spare.
He even claimed William, first in line to the throne, physically attacked him in an argument about Meghan.
Harry recalled how William allegedly "grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor."
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