Updated 2:15 p.m. May 17, 2023.

Britain’s Prince Harry and his American wife, Meghan Markle, were involved in what was described by his spokesman as a “near catastrophic” car chase involving paparazzi at New York City Tuesday, according to Sky News.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” the spokesman added.

The pair were at New York attending a charity dinner at which Ms. Markle was awarded a Women of Vision award by the Ms. Foundation for women. It was their first public appearance since Harry’s father was crowned King of England last week. Exactly how a two-hour chase unfolded on the crowded streets of New York City was not immediately clear.

Asked about the incident during a news conference Wednesday, Mayor Adams said it appears that officers were indeed put in harm’s way but he questioned the reliability of claims that a high-speed chase took place.

“I would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high-speed chase,” Mr. Adams said. “But we will find out the exact duration of it. If it’s 10 minutes, a 10-minute chase is extremely dangerous in New York City.”

In a separate statement, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of public information, Julian Phillips, confirmed that the department assisted the private security team protecting Harry and Ms. Markle. “There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” he said. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests.”

At the event, according to the Associated Press, Ms. Markle recounted how Ms. Magazine was always in their house and how it affected her world view. “I am a woman who remains inspired and driven by this organization,” she said, glancing at Ms. Foundation 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.

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

The pair left the charity dinner at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan accompanied by Ms. Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland. The trio reportedly left the theater around 10 p.m. with at least a dozen photographers in pursuit, according to the New York Post. A source told the newspaper that one photographer hit a parked vehicle and another almost ran over a New York city police officer in the chase.

“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,” Harry’s spokesman said in the statement. 

Harry’s mother, Diana, the Princess of Wales and Charles’ first wife, famously died in a car crash at Paris in 1997 after being aggressively pursued by paparazzi. Harry and Meghan, who retain the title Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped down from their royal duties and moved to the United States in 2020 in part to escape the intense media harassment in the United Kingdom.