Photo Agency Flatly Denies Harry and Meghan’s ‘Demand’ for Car Chase Images: ‘Property Belongs to the Owner’
It appears Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t be getting copies of the footage taken during their “near catastrophic car chase” anytime soon. The couple’s legal request sent to a photo agency has reportedly been denied via a letter referencing “royal prerogative.”
Harry and Meghan’s lawyers attempted to get car chase footage from photo agency
Per a TMZ report, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn’t simply head home to Montecito, California, after the incident following a May 16 awards ceremony in New York. They also took legal action.
The outlet reported the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s legal team wrote to Backgrid on May 17. They told the California-based photo agency to “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.”
Harry and Meghan’s lawyers also reportedly claimed they needed the footage, in part, to improve security measures.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan previously said in a May 17 statement the couple, alongside Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase.”
Upon leaving the Ziegfeld Theatre Ms. Foundation event where Meghan received a 2023 Women of Vision Award, the trio underwent a “relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours” by a “ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”
The spokesperson also claimed the “near catastrophic car chase” caused “multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”
The agency denied Harry and Meghan’s ‘demand’ for car chase photos in a letter
Backgrid denied the request, saying Harry and Meghan have no right to the Copyrighted photos and videos. A portion of the agency’s letter also included in the report featured nods to the couple’s royal family ties.
“In America, as I’m sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it,” Backgrid’s lawyer said in the letter. “Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them, as perhaps Kings can do,” the agency replied.
“Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago. We stand by our founding fathers.”
Backgrid also said it “had no intention of causing any distress or harm” sending four photographers — one on a bike and three in cars — to get footage of Harry, Meghan, and Ragland. “Their only tool was their cameras.”
Others’ claims don’t match up with Harry and Meghan’s ‘near catastrophic car chase’ description
While Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson called the incident a “near catastrophic car chase,” the description’s since come under scrutiny. A New York Police Department statement appeared to tone down what happened.
They said the NYPD “assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging.” However, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination, and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams commented on the so-called car chase in a May 17 press conference.
“I don’t think there’s many of us, who don’t recall how his mom [Princess Diana] died, and it would be horrific to lose innocent bystanders during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well.”
“I would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high-speed chase,” he added. “That would be—I’d find that hard to believe. But we will find out the exact duration of it. But if it’s 10 minutes, a 10-minute chase is extremely dangerous in New York City.”
Harry and Meghan’s cab driver has also commented along with witnesses.
