Agency ‘refuses to hand over’ shots of Harry and Meghan taken during ‘car chase’

A photo agency involved in an alleged New York City car chase with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has reportedly refused to hand over images of the couple.

Backgrid rejected a demand by the Sussexes to hand over photographs taken during what the pair described as a “near catastrophic” pursuit on Tuesday night, saying Americans “long ago rejected royal prerogative”, the BBC said.

The letter, which the celebrity picture agency said it got from the pair’s legal team on Thursday, reportedly said: “We hereby demand that Backgrid immediately provide us with copies of all photos, videos, and/or films taken last night by the freelance photographers after the couple left their event and over the next several hours.”

In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesman for Harry and Meghan said the pair and Meghan’s mother “were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi”.

He added: “This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”

The duke and duchess had been at the Ms Foundation For Women’s 50th anniversary gala event.

It was Harry and Meghan’s first public appearance together since the duchess missed the King’s coronation on May 6.

Paparazzi deny there were any near-crashes, while the NYPD said “numerous photographers” made the couple’s journey “challenging” but there were “no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests”.

During an interview with the BBC at the G7 summit in Japan, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared to dismiss the incident, saying: “Cars in New York are not really my priority or my responsibility.

“What is my priority and responsibility is people’s safety at home.”