ROYAL RIFT
Meghan’s pal is ‘trying to bring Charles down’ by claiming Harry has not heard from royals after ‘chase’, expert says
MEGHAN Markle's pal is trying to bring King Charles down by claiming Prince Harry has not heard from the royals following their "car chase", an expert has said.
The Duke, 38, and Duchess of Sussex, 41, were involved in an incident with paparazzi on the streets of New York on Tuesday night, according to their representative.
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Harry and Meghan were leaving an awards ceremony in the Big Apple when they were reportedly followed.
The couple's spokesperson said it "resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers".
News of the "car chase", which is alleged to have lasted for almost two hours, broke on Wednesday.
Sources have since claimed the couple haven't heard from the Firm following the ordeal.
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However, royal author and expert Angela Levin has told The Sun Online the claims being made are only to bring down Charles and the monarchy.
She said: "I don't think it's our business [if a father has spoken to his son].
"People talking about it are people who don't like the Monarchy and are finding any excuse to bring them down.
"And if they do talk, it isn't like the King is going to call round to the press.
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"It shouldn't be front page news what a father says to his son."
It comes after author and friend of Meghan, Omid Scobie, told how shocked he was that the family hadn't reached out to the Sussexes.
Speaking to ABC News, he said: "I think this is the element of the day that has surprised me the most.
"This is a story that is almost straight out of Princess Diana's book.
"You know we've heard about those aggressive encounters with the paparazzi in the past and ultimately it's the thing that took her life in that Paris tunnel.
"And so to the likes of King Charles and Prince William, hearing this story would have no doubt triggered some kind of emotional response.
"So I was really shocked to hear from sources that neither Harry nor Meghan had heard from any members of the Royal Family - even some hours after this story had broken."
The couple made the journey from California to New York so Meghan could be recognised for her work fighting for women's rights.
They entered and left the venue publicly allowing for pictures.
Meghan's mum Doria Ragland was also said to be in the car at the time.
The New York Police Department said the situation had been "challenging" but there were "no reported collisions".
The force said: “The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"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.”
Meghan was presented with the 2023 Women of Vision Award at a Ms Foundation gala where she gave a short speech.
The trio then left to go back to a private residence where they were staying as they did not want to compromise the security of their friend's home, it's reported.
In a full statement the couple's spokesperson said: "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.
"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 involved."
Piers Morgan said: "A tale of two statements.. one from the Sussexes, the other from the NYPD.
"One says 'near-catastrophic', the other says 'challenging' but no significant incident. Are recollections varying again?"
Speaking to the TalkTV star on Piers Morgan Uncensored last night, Sunny Singh – who drove Meghan and Harry in his New York taxi at one point in the evening – said the couple “seemed nervous” when they got in.
The cabbie added: “We went a block, we were blocked by a trash truck and all of a sudden paparazzi came out of nowhere and flashes just went off. I saw six paparazzi.
“They were just about to say the location where they were going to go but the paparazzi came and the security guard said ‘Hey listen, just circle back’."
He also said the pair “paid well” for the quick one-block trip, before the couple hopped back into an SUV alongside Doria Ragland.
A paparazzi driver reportedly involved in the alleged chase said it was "very tense" trying to keep up with one of their vehicles.
Speaking anonymously to ITV's Good Morning Britain on Thursday, he said: "Last night after leaving the theatre, there were hopes from me and a few other photographers that maybe they would go to a restaurant.
"For the most part, I was driving and it was very tense trying to keep up with the vehicles.
"They did a lot of blocking and there was a lot of different type of manoeuvres to stop what was happening.
He claimed Harry and Meghan's driver was the one who made the pursuit "a catastrophic experience".
He added: "Their driver was making it a catastrophic experience... if they were going 80mph, I would probably have been going 20mph behind them and hoping to keep sight of them.
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"So if it was dangerous and catastrophic, it was more than likely based on the person that was driving."
Buckingham Palace has been approached for comment.
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