Neil Sean on Harry and Meghan car chase: Hard to take claims ‘seriously’
U.K. royal reporter Neil Sean weighs in on reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in a ‘near catastrophic’ paparazzi car chase in New York City.
Despite being described as "catastrophic," Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's alleged car chase in New York City is not sounding the alarm at Buckingham Palace.
Although he offered thoughts and prayers this morning, King Charles' was not referring to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"My wife and I are most profoundly shocked and saddened to see the scale of suffering and devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar and Bangladesh," the newly crowned King wrote to his Instagram. "At this time of desperate need, our special thoughts and prayers are with the communities which have been affected by this dreadful natural disaster, and we send our deepest heartfelt condolences to those that have lost their loved ones in such a tragedy."
PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE CALLED OUT BY PRINCESS DIANA'S FORMER BODYGUARD OVER ALLEGED CAR CHASE
People skewered the royal on social media for his palpable silence on the car incident, writing, "This is sad he isn’t even commenting on the safety of his own," and "So disappointed that you refuse to make a statement about your son and his wife."
Royal watcher Omid Scobie tweeted on Wednesday evening that representatives for King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine had declined to comment on the alleged incident.
Representatives for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as reps for the royal family, did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Despite receiving public scrutiny for his lack of acknowledgment toward his son and daughter-in-law, royal experts aren't surprised.
"I don’t think this is an issue for the palace to get involved in. Harry and Meghan left the working royal family and the UK, after all, so the provision of their own security in America is their business," royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti told Fox News Digital.
On Tuesday evening, the duke and duchess, as well as Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, "were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," a spokesperson for the couple shared in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The Duchess of Sussex was in New York City to accept the Ms. Foundation Woman of Vision award.
Meghan Markle spoke behind the podium and talked of service prior to the reported car chase in New York City. (Kevin Mazur/Astrid Stawiarz)
"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near-collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers," the statement added. "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 involved."
Christopher Andersen, author of "The King: The Life of Charles III," noted that the royals are probably confused by the whole situation.
"The King's advisors are as perplexed as the rest of us about this incident," he tells Fox News Digital. "The ‘near-catastrophic two-hour-long high-speed chase’ through the streets of Manhattan that was described in such breathless terms by the Sussexes' spokesman, turned out in the end to be none of the above."
Meghan Markle appeared to be in great spirits while arriving to the awards through a Hertz rental car location. (Raymond Hall)
"Original reports that there had been a crash and that two pedestrians were injured turned out to be completely false. . . . Why on earth would Harry and Meghan speed up and down the very busy FDR drive for over an hour, then go to a police station, then hail a cab on East 67th Street, and THEN finally take an SUV to where they were going in the first place?" he questioned.
The NYPD told Fox News Digital that the photographers made Harry and Markle's transport "challenging," but that they had arrived at their destination safely.
"There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging," Julian Phillips, NYPD's deputy commissioner of public information said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard," Phillips noted.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.
In the aftermath of the incident, New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that although he had not been given a full briefing yet, it was "reckless and irresponsible" for anyone to be chasing people in vehicles in the densely populated city, adding that "two of our officers could have been injured."
"I would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high-speed chase . . . but we will find out the exact duration of it, but if it's 10 minutes, a 10-minute chase is extremely dangerous in New York City," he noted.
Markle's friend and photographer Misan Harriman, whom she previously introduced ahead of his TED Talk, showed his support for the Duke and Duchess on Twitter.
"They need to be protected, this is unacceptable and terrifying, they have babies at home….. sigh," he wrote in a message accompanied by a retweeted video of Mayor Adams' press conference.
Meghan Markle was joined by her husband, Prince Harry, and mother, Doria, at the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards. (Kevin Mazur)
An NYPD source said, "Investigators are looking through traffic cameras and other security cameras to piece together what transpired."
PROWLER ARRESTED OUTSIDE MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY'S MONTECITO HOME
"I'm sure there are those at the palace who are rolling their eyes, and see it as no small coincidence that Harry is suing in England for the restoration of his royal protection--protection that was yanked away from the Sussexes following Megxit," Andersen said.
"Charles' Palace handlers are probably telling him to remain silent because he doesn't want to look as if he's influencing the legal case one way or the other. I'm sure Queen Camilla is also whispering her doubts into the King's ear."
Duncan Larcombe, Former editor of The Sun, admits that had the circumstances been different, perhaps the king would have addressed the situation.
"They would have commented, back in the day, and I'm sure if Harry specifically asked them to comment, then maybe they would, but Harry and Meghan are fiercely independent of the palace now," he explained.
King Charles may not have spoken publicly about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's alleged car chase so as not to influence the Duke's legal case regarding security in the U.K., according to a royal expert. (Getty Images)
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Royal commentators were quick to note the contrasts in the crash involving Princess Diana and the alleged car chase described by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's team. (Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive)
Although some have compared the reported car chase as eerily similar to the fatal crash involving the late Princess Diana, Larcombe says this scenario was completely different.
"I don't think they'll [the palace] comment at all. . . . 'Cause it wasn't a crash, so no one was hurt. So I don't think that will change. I think that, that's their position. . . . Unless they're invited to, they wouldn't comment on it."
"Diana got in trouble when the people she was with overreacted to the paparazzi," Andersen added. "Is that what happened the other night with Meghan and Harry in New York? It is the standard celebrity dilemma."
He noted this kind of attention is part of the bargain "they all make with the media devil. They clearly crave attention, but be careful what you wish for."
King Charles III (R) shakes hands with actor Woody Harrelson and his wife, Laura Louie, at an event hosted by the British Fashion Council. (Photo by JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
On Thursday, King Charles went about business as usual.
He was photographed attending an industry showcase hosted by the British Fashion Council in London.
He was seen socializing with actor Woody Harrelson, as well as the revered former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham.
King Charles III is offered a jar of his own home-produced honey by David Beckham at an event hosted by the British Fashion Council. (Photo by Jonathan Brady-WPA Pool/Getty Images.)
He wasn't the only royal tending to official duties Thursday.
Kate Middleton was spotted at a charity event in honor of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Kate Middleton mingled with children while attending the Anna Freud Centre on Thursday. (Mark Cuthbert/Karwai Tang)
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Catherine, Princess of Wales visited the Anna Freud Centre, which works with children and their families on mental health initiatives.
Unlike the king, the princess was not met with a flood of negative comments on her posts to social media, promoting the projects she has in the works.
The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Mitch Picasso contributed to this report.
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