Harry and Meghan's taxi driver during paparazzi "car chase" says couple "looked very nervous"

By Errol Barnett, Analisa Novak

May 18, 2023 / 9:20 AM / CBS News

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "looked very nervous" while trying to shake off photographers in New York City on Tuesday night, according to Sukhcharn Singh, a taxi driver who gave them a ride.

"Meghan was scared, Harry was nervous," Singh said.

The couple claims they were in a "near catastrophic car chase" — a "relentless pursuit" that lasted over two hours "at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi."

Law enforcement sources told CBS News the couple left the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan at approximately 10 p.m. Concerned the paparazzi might follow them to where they were staying, they circled Midtown for over an hour accompanied by private security and the NYPD.

Singh recalled seeing three people — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland — exiting a black SUV and then hopping into his yellow taxi. They were attempting to lose the photographers.

"Paparazzi just came out of nowhere, taking pictures, standing in front of the cab and all that," Singh said.

Singh said that after 10 to 15 minutes, the couple asked him to drop them at a police station, where they were able to switch vehicles and drive home.

No one was hurt, and police told CBS News the encounter was not as serious as Harry and Meghan made it sound.

The NYPD reported no collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests in relation to the incident. They are currently investigating the matter and law enforcement sources told CBS News the couple was not in danger during the ordeal. However, there was a moment when two NYPD officers could have been injured.

Harry's mother, Princess Diana, died in a tragic car crash in 1997 as paparazzi chased a car carrying her and her boyfriend, Dodi Al Fayed, through the streets of Paris.

Prince Harry has voiced his concerns regarding the possibility of similar incidents impacting his family. In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, he expressed his fears, stating, "My biggest concern was history repeating itself. ... And when I'm talking about history repeating itself, I'm talking about my, my mother."

Errol Barnett is a CBS News Streaming anchor and national correspondent based in New York.

First published on May 18, 2023 / 9:20 AM