Mayor Eric Adams goes on to recall the death of Princess Diana, and says it would have been "horrific" to lose an innocent bystander to the alleged incident.

He also says he'd find it hard to believe it was a two-hour high-speed chase, but that he would find out.

We've just heard from New York City Mayor Eric Adams about the incident.

He says it's clear the paparazzi want to get the "right shot", but that "public safety must always be at the forefront".

He says according to the briefing he received, two officers could have been injured.

"New York City is different from a small town somewhere. You shouldn't be speeding anywhere, but this is a densely populated city," he told reporters.

18:45 local time (23:45 BST): Meghan, Harry and Doria arrive at the Ms Foundation award event in New York City

19:00 (00:00 BST): Award ceremony begins

22:00 (03:00 BST): The couple and Doria are seen leaving the theatre and getting into a black SUV

The couple has said the chase lasted about two hours.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Here's what we know about the "near catastrophic car chase" last night:

• Prince Harry, Meghan and her mother say they were involved in an incident involving paparazzi in New York last night
• They say it happened after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an awards ceremony called the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Awards, in Manhattan
• The "relentless pursuit" lasted for over two hours and resulted in near collisions with other drivers on the road, pedestrians and police officers, the spokesperson said
• The New York Police Department (NYPD) did not immediately confirm knowledge of the incident
• The spokesperson said that alleged traffic violations during the chase included driving while on the phone, driving on the pavement, running a red light, reversing down a one-way street, driving while photographing, and illegally blocking a moving vehicle

• There has been no mention of collisions, arrest or injuries as a result of the chase
• Buckingham Palace said it will not be issuing a statement on the incident

Read more details from Prince Harry's spokesperson here.

Duncan Larcombe, author of "Prince Harry: The Inside Story", tells the BBC: "This will come as a huge surprise for people who used to look after Harry in the UK.

"There are huge questions to be asked about whether the paparazzi can still operate in this way.

"What if a pedestrian was knocked down by a car? Is a photo worth that?"

Larcombe says Harry's primary concern has always been the safety of his family, adding: "Something has gone extremely wrong."

Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent

It’s understood that Prince Harry and Meghan, usually based in California, were staying at a friend’s house while in New York for the award ceremony.

With the chase said to have lasted two hours, it’s claimed the couple did not want to “compromise the security” of their friends by returning directly.

Conservative American journalist and TV presenter Megyn Kelly has tweeted the following:, external

“I lived in Manhattan for 17 yrs & it is not possible to have a 2hr “car chase” there. Too many street lights/stop signs, too much foot/car traffic & hundreds of places you could safely pull over to protect yourself.”

The initial statement from Prince Harry and Meghan said the "relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers".

Although the couple were in Manhattan on Tuesday night, they haven't said exactly where the chase took place.

Meghan was being honoured at an event hosted by the Ms Foundation in New York.

She brought Prince Harry and her mother, Doria Ragland, as her guests.

Here are some images taken before the alleged car chase happened:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

We're still waiting to independently verify the couple's account of what happened last night.

Details are scarce, but Omid Scobie, who wrote a biography about Prince Harry, claims on Twitter that, external "despite being confronted by uniformed police multiple times, the paparazzi’s cars continued their pursuit in trying to follow the Sussexes and Doria to the private residence they were staying at".

He also claims that "traffic violations by the drivers include driving on a sidewalk, going through red lights, reversing down a one way street, driving while photographing and illegally blocking a moving vehicle" - as we reported earlier.

He said the Daily Mail published some photos of the couple taken during the chase - but they have since been deleted.

Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

There were photographs taken of Prince Harry and Meghan as they arrived for the awards ceremony in New York last night.

But there are claims that the chase that followed involved half a dozen cars, with reckless driving including going through red lights, driving on the pavement, carrying out blocking moves, reversing down a one-way street – as well as taking photographs while driving.

It’s also claimed that the presence of police did not stop the pursuit.

But from the details emerging, there are so far no reports of a collision, injuries or arrests.

The reports of this chase come as Prince Harry is involved in multiple legal disputes with the tabloid press, including allegations of phone hacking and the unlawful gathering of information.

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry wrote about his anxiety caused by press intrusion and the long legacy of the death of his mother Princess Diana in a car crash, when pursued by paparazzi photographers.

We're hearing more details now from Prince Harry and Meghan's spokesperson, via our royal correspondent Sarah Campbell:

• The alleged traffic violations during the chase include driving while on the phone, driving on the pavement, running a red light, reversing down a one-way street, driving while photographing, and illegally blocking a moving vehicle
• The individuals in question were confronted by uniformed police multiple times, but they sped off to continue their pursuit
• Footage of the alleged chase has been taken from security. There are no pictures at the moment but they do exist
• The alleged chase involved half a dozen blacked out vehicles driving recklessly and endangering everyone around them
• It lasted two hours - it's believed this is because they were staying at a private residence and they wanted the location to stay private

The BBC has contacted the New York Police Department for comment.

Image source, Getty Images

Prince Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana, died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

The limousine she was travelling in was being chased by the paparazzi at the time.

Harry has previously blamed the photographers for the car crash and has spoken out multiple times about his anger at press intrusion.

Prince Harry and Meghan attended a Ms. Foundation for Women awards ceremony in New York.

Meghan was honoured “for her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls”, in the words of the foundation.

Her mother, Doria Ragland, also attended the ceremony at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan.

Prince Harry, his wife Meghan, and her mother Doria Ragland were in a “near-catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi photographers in New York on Tuesday night, a spokesperson for the couple says.

The three were chased by “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” for “over two hours”, the statement says.

The “relentless pursuit” resulted in “multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers”, it adds.

“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.”

Welcome to our live coverage, after Prince Harry and his wife the Duchess of Sussex said they were in a "near-catastrophic" chase with paparazzi on Tuesday night in New York.

We'll bring you the latest news and reaction.