Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to Return to New York City 5 Months After Their 'Catastrophic Car Chase'
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are making their first trip back to New York City — months after their "catastrophic car chase."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to return to the metropolitan area for World Mental Health Day on Tuesday, October 10, and it will be the Archewell Foundation's first in-person event since its 2020 launch.
The Sussexes will host The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in a Digital Age, which is designed to honor people “who have experienced tragic loss connected to their child’s social media use.”
The Sussexes have been vocal about antibullying initiatives after the Duchess of Sussex experienced negative media attention and "trolling" when she married into the royal family, and they've gone on to support organizations aligned with their personal experiences.
In August, Meghan and Harry were filmed calling the recipients of the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund — a non-profit that empowers adolescents to make the online world a safer place.
Their August cameo was one of their first joint gatherings since they were hounded down by photographers in the Big Apple. The couple attended the Women of Vision award — alongside Doria Ragland — to celebrate Meghan receiving formal recognition for her years of being a feminist.
Although they were all smiles upon entering the venue, the trio released a statement about their hazardous experience.
“Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” their rep said.
The Sussexes' team later revealed that the incident lasted for an extended period and compromised their well-being.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers," the spokesperson 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.”
Shortly after the news broke, Mayor Eric Adams addressed the couple's anecdote in a live forum.
"Public safety must always be at the forefront," Adams told reporters on Tuesday, May 16. "The briefing I received, two of our officers could have been injured. New York City is different from small towns. You shouldn't be speeding anywhere but this is a densely populated city."
Adams later discussed how the night paralleled the passing of Harry's mother, Princess Diana.
"I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how his mom died and it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well," he noted. "So, I think we have to be extremely responsible. I thought that was a bit reckless and irresponsible."
The politician then doubled down on his support of the American-based royals.
"We have a lot of traffic, a lot of movement, a lot of people are using our streets," he said. "Any time of high-speed chase that involves something of that nature is inappropriate. Police do it under limited circumstances when they're going after violent people but to do it because you want to get the right shot can turn out to be a place where people can be harmed in a real way."
Meghan and Harry's trip was reported by People.