Just a week after a car chase involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made news in New York City, a spokesperson for the royal couple is speaking out against accusations that the incident was nothing more than a PR stunt. “Respectfully, considering the duke’s family history, one would have to think nothing of the couple or anybody associated with them to believe this was any sort of PR stunt,” publicist Ashley Hansen told Page Six. “Quite frankly, I think that’s abhorrent.”
Echoing the chase that killed Harry’s mother Princess Diana, Harry and Meghan say they were caught in a two-hour, ‘relentless pursuit’ by the paparazzi. However, there have been questions about how serious the incident actually was. The incident was discussed on various talk shows and created quite a buzz on social media. Harry and Meghan have not spoken out themselves.
The car chase took place on May 16 after Meghan and Harry attended the Ms. Foundation Gala in New York City. It was the couple’s first public appearance following King Charles’ coronation, which Harry attended in the UK while Meghan stayed home in California with their two kids. Meghan looked absolutely dazzling at the gala, wearing a strapless gold dress with her hair parted to the side and styled in glamorous waves. She was glowing as she arrived alongside her husband.
Three days after the chase, it was reported by PEOPLE that Meghan and Harry had yet to hear from any royal family members checking in about the incident. The two have distanced themselves from Harry’s family since stepping down from their royal duties in January 2020 and moving to North America. They opened up about the decision in a bombshell Netflix documentary, which was released in Dec. 2022. In the series, they cited the media’s relentlessness and royal family’s failure to protect Meghan from harmful stories and comments as the main reason they stepped away. Harry went on to delve further into what it was like growing up in the royal family in his 2023 memoir, Spare, as well.
