Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and her mother were involved in a “near catastrophic” car chase after being followed by paparazzi in New York.

The incident occurred after the couple attended the Women of Vision Award ceremony in New York on Tuesday night, May 16.

“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,” Reuters reported quoting Duke of Sussex’ spokesperson.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“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 in involved,” the statement read.

The event was the first public event Prince Harry attended since his father King Charles’ coronation. Meghan Markle was not present at the ceremony.

Receiving the award, Meghan Markle encouraged women to find inspiration to fight for equity.

“It’s never too late to start. You can be the visionary of your own life… There is still so much work to be done,” she said.

“I am a woman who remains inspired and driven by this organization,” she adding, looking over at the foundation’s co-founder Gloria Steinem.

“It allowed me to recognize that part of my greater value and purpose in life was to advocate for those who felt unheard, to stand up to injustice, and to not be afraid of saying what is true and what is just and what is right, she continued.

Prince Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal roles in 2020 and relocated to the United States.