Prince Harry and Meghan Markle demanded {that a} photograph company hand over the footage snapped by paparazzi after their “near-catastrophic automobile chase” Tuesday evening.

Per TMZ, the embattled royals — who had been in New York Metropolis the evening of the alleged chase — stated they want the footage to enhance their safety.

“We hereby demand that Backgrid instantly present us with copies of all pictures, movies, and/or movies taken final evening by the freelance photographers after the couple left their occasion and over the following a number of hours,” their attorneys stated in a letter to the company.

Nonetheless, Backgrid’s attorneys shot again with a snarky letter of their very own, “In America, as I’m positive you realize, property belongs to the proprietor of it: Third events can not simply demand or not it’s given to them, as maybe Kings can do.

“Maybe you need to sit down along with your consumer and advise them that his English guidelines of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown had been rejected by this nation way back. We stand by our founding fathers.”

For extra Web page Six you like …

Not solely did Backgrind refuse at hand over the footage, however they’d additionally beforehand denied the royals’ claims.

“Based on the photographers current, there have been no near-collisions or near-crashes throughout this incident,” Backgrid USA advised Web page Six in a press release Wednesday. “The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in quick hazard at any level.”

The company denied the claims that the couple was chased by “extremely aggressive paparazzi,” saying its employed photographers had no intention of “inflicting any misery or hurt, as their solely instrument was their cameras.”

“It is very important be aware that these photographers have an expert duty to cowl newsworthy occasions and personalities, together with public figures similar to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,” the company added, earlier than noting that it values “transparency and ethics” in journalism, together with “offering truthful and factual responses to claims.”

Nonetheless, the corporate stated they may proceed to look into the incident.

Web page Six reported Wednesday that Harry, 38, Markle, and Markle’s mom, Doria Ragland, had been “extraordinarily upset and shaken” after being chased for 2 hours in what may have been a “near-catastrophic” incident.

After the “Fits” alum, 41, acquired an award on the 2023 Ladies of Imaginative and prescient ceremony, the trio received in an SUV at round 10 p.m. They claimed they had been instantly adopted by greater than 10 photographers.

After not with the ability to shake off the paps, the couple, in addition to Ragland and their safety guards, jumped right into a yellow cab in an effort to flee.

A supply claimed to us that one photographer hit a automobile and one other nearly ran over an NYPD officer in the course of the “near-fatal” chase.

“Final evening, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland had been concerned in a close to catastrophic automobile chase by the hands of a hoop of extremely aggressive paparazzi,” a rep for the Sussexes added in a press release to Web page Six.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in a number of close to collisions involving different drivers on the highway, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. Whereas being a public determine comes with a degree of curiosity from the general public, it ought to by no means come at the price of anybody’s security.”

Nonetheless, following their allegations, eyewitnesses claimed the couple exaggerated the incident.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their vacation spot, and there have been no reported collisions, summonses, accidents or arrests in regard,” the New York Metropolis Police Division stated in a press release on Wednesday, addressing their allegations.

The NYPD added that it “assisted” the royals’ personal safety crew in preserving them protected.

A high-ranking police supply advised The Put up that no emergency calls had been made to report the chase and that the NYPD solely had one automobile surveying the scenario.

“[The chase] positively wasn’t two hours,” the police insider added.

Mayor Eric Adams later confirmed that, based on a briefing he acquired, two NYPD officers “may have been injured.”

“I don’t suppose there are a lot of of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s mom, Princess Diana] died. It might be horrific to lose harmless bystanders throughout a chase like this and [for] one thing to have occurred to them as nicely,” Adams stated, referring to the late Princess of Wales dying in a 1997 automobile crash in Paris involving paparazzi.

Regardless of the eerie similarities to Diana’s reason behind dying, members of the royal household haven’t checked in on Harry and Markle because the incident.

A supply advised Web page Six that neither King Charles III and Queen Camilla, nor Prince William and Kate Middleton, have contacted the Sussexes.

Reps for Harry and Markle didn’t instantly reply to Web page Six’s requests for remark.