Photo Agency Refuses to Hand Over Pictures From Harry and Meghan’s Alleged Paparazzi Car Chase
The drama around an alleged high speed chase involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in New York City continues.
A celebrity photo agency has rejected a reported request from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s legal team to hand over images taken during what Harry’s spokesperson claimed was a “near catastrophic car chase” that took place on Tuesday night.
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California-based Backgrid told the BBC it received a letter, which Robb Report has not viewed, from the couple’s legal representatives that allegedly said, “We hereby demand 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 over the next several hours.”
Backgrid told the publication it denied the request, stating, “In America, as I’m sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it: Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them, as perhaps Kings can do.”
“Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago,” the photo agency continued. “We stand by our founding fathers.”
However, Backgrid did tell the BBC that the company was investigating the conduct of four freelancers who took photos of Harry and Meghan that night. The photographers have said the couple had never been in “immediate danger at any point,” according to the agency.
A Robb Report inquiry sent to Archewell, the for-profit and not-for-profit business organization founded by Harry and Meghan, was not immediately returned. Inquiries sent to Backgrid were also not returned.
A taxi driver who gave the couple a ride during part of the night has since said in an interview that the couple “seemed nervous” during the ride. He also said that while they were followed by two cars, he wouldn’t call it a chase.
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