The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly asked a celebrity photo agency to hand over images taken during what the royal couple said was a “near-catastrophic” chase with “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi”.
Backgrid, a California-based entertainment photo agency, said on Thursday it had rejected the request, which was set out in a letter from Sussex’s legal team, demanding it provide the images taken on Tuesday in New York.
The episode, which echoes the death of Harry’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales, who was killed when her car crashed while being followed by paparazzi in Paris in 1997, is said to have happened after the couple and Meghan’s mother attended the awards ceremony.
Backgrid told the BBC the letter said: “We hereby request that Backgrid 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 for the next several hours.”
The agency told the broadcaster it responded: “In America, as I’m sure you know, property belongs to its owner: third parties cannot simply demand that it be given to them, as perhaps kings can.”
“Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to require citizens to surrender their property to the crown have long since been rejected in this country.”
“We stand behind our founding fathers.”
Backgrid and the Sussexes have been contacted for comment.
Harry and Meghan’s account has been disputed, with police confirming there were no reported collisions, injuries or arrests, while Backgrid denied the paparazzi were aggressive, even suggesting the Sussexes’ car was being driven incorrectly. A taxi driver who was briefly involved also cast doubt on the couple’s statement.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was asked about the incident during an interview with the BBC in Japan, where he was attending the G7 summit.
Pressed on whether he sympathized with the potential invasion of privacy or safety, Sunak said, “I think like all of us we want to make sure that we live our daily lives in safety and security.
“My job as Prime Minister is to ensure that everyone feels safe in our country. That’s why we put 20,000 more police on the street. That’s why we give them the power to deal with things like knife crime.’
After being told that the incident in question happened in the US, Sunak said: “Cars in New York are not really my priority or my responsibility. My priority and responsibility is the safety of people at home.”
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