It was a close call for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Markle's mother, Doria Ragland. On Tuesday, May 16, the trio were involved in a "near-catastrophic" car chase after 12 paparazzi allegedly followed them upon their departure from Women of Vision Awards, according to a spokesperson for the royal couple.
"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," the representative told Reuters of the "relentless pursuit," one that reportedly lasted "over two hours."
The chase "resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers," they explained, adding that "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."
This is far from the only dangerous run-in between the Royal family and paparazzi. On August 31, 1997, Harry's mother Princess Diana died in a car accident in a tunnel in Paris, France, after her vehicle was "pursued by so-called paparazzi," BBC News reported of the incident. Diana was 36 years old. Diana's partner, Egyptian filmmaker Dodi Fayed and the car's driver, Henri Paul, also died in the collision. Her bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only person to survive the crash.
Despite being largely pinned on the photographers, "No charges were brought against the paparazzi who had been pursuing the princess' car," the British news outlet later reported.
As news of Harry and Meghan's recent incident made headlines, some reporters took to social media, noting the eerie similarities between the crash and the circumstances surrounding Diana's death.
"You can't see this and not think of what happened to Harry's mom Princess Diana," CNN's Sara Snider wrote on Twitter shortly after the story broke.