Paparazzi photo agency denies Prince Harry, Meghan Markle NYC ‘catastrophic car chase’ claims

The photographers who pursued Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after they exited a ritzy Manhattan benefit Tuesday say the royals were never in any danger — and it was the prince’s security team that was driving recklessly.

“According to the photographers present, there were no near-collisions or near-crashes,” Backgrid USA Inc., the agency that hired the photographers, said in a statement. “The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point.”

A spokesman for Prince Harry said Wednesday the photographers sparked a “relentless pursuit lasting over two hours” that “resulted in multiple near-collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”

But Backgrid USA claims that Harry’s security detail were the aggressors.

“One of the four SUVs from Prince Harry’s security escort was driving in a manner that could be perceived as reckless,” the company said. “The vehicle was seen blocking off streets, and in one video, it is shown being pulled over by the police.”

An email to the NYPD regarding this claim was not immediately returned Thursday.

Backgrid USA assigned four photographers to the Ms. Foundation gala Tuesday night, where Markle was honored with a “Women of Vision” award. When the royals left the gala, three shutterbugs followed in cars. The fourth pedaled after them on his bicycle.

The agency said it was going to conduct a “through investigation into the matter.”

“At Backgrid USA Inc., we do not condone any form of harassment or illegal activity,” the company said. “We are taking Prince Harry’s allegations seriously.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Markle’s mother Doria Ragland climbed into a waiting SUV following the Ms. Foundation for Women gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on W. 54th St. before they were pursued by photographers.

They headed east and ended up outside the 19th Precinct stationhouse on E. 67th St., where they hopped into a cab.

But the cab drive was short lived. Cabbie Sukhcharn “Sonny” Singh drove them around the area, trying to avoid the paparazzi for about 10 minutes before he was asked to take them back to the stationhouse.

“They were nervous,” Singh told the Daily News Wednesday. “They were being chased the entire day. They were just about to tell me the location of where they wanted me to go, but then all these paparazzi came out of nowhere — so they told me to drive!”

The NYPD downplayed the incident Wednesday, noting that no crashes occurred, no one was injured, and no arrests were made.

Mayor Adams slammed the paparazzi’s behavior before expressing skepticism about the reported duration of the chase.

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how his mom died,” said Adams about Prince Harry. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this. I thought that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.”

Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a motor vehicle crash in 1997 after her limousine was chased by paparazzi in Paris. The prince has long blamed his mother’s death on relentless paparazzi intrusion.

“I would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high-speed chase,” Adams said Wednesday. “That would be hard to believe. But we will find out the exact duration.”

Adams later said the royals were driving around for about 45 minutes before going to an NYPD precinct, adding there was then “a pause until it was resolved.”