An American photo agency has rejected Harry and Meghan’s request for images from this week’s “near catastrophic” automobile chase they claimed to have had with paparazzi in New York.
Backgrid USA reportedly stated that “this country long ago rejected the English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown.”
The agency has acknowledged receiving images and video from four independent photographers who were on May 16’s Tuesday night while three of them were in cars and one was on a bicycle.
Harry and Meghan’s allegations of a “near catastrophic” car chase across Manhattan’s Upper East Side after the couple attended an awards ceremony, however, were dismissed by the organization.
On Thursday, the American gossip website TMZ released information about the legal tit-for-tat, including a portion of a letter the Sussexes’ attorneys issued to Backgrid.
It reportedly read: “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.”
According to reports, they are also urging the New York Police Department to look into the matter. The Sussexes’ legal counsel in the UK has been contacted by The Mail for comment.
Backgrid flatly refused to send over the material. According to TMZ, an excerpt from the agency’s legal statement stated: “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.
“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.”
Backgrid added: “We stand by our founding fathers.”
The organization declared that it has opened a probe of its own since it “condoned no form of harassment or illegal activity.” The photographers on Tuesday night, however, “had no intention of causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras,” according to the report.
Security personnel working for the couple have stated that they were concerned for the safety of bystanders who were involved in what they claim was a terrifying occurrence.
In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesman for Harry and Meghan said: ‘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.’
The incident occurred following the couple’s attendance at the Women of Vision awards ceremony.