Paparazzi agency refuses Harry and Meghan’s request to hand over photos after denying ‘near catastrophic car chase’

The photo agency at the center of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s car chase drama has refused a legal request from the couple’s camp that could give some validity to their claims.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said the “relentless pursuit” by “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” resulted in a “near catastrophic car chase.” The alleged ordeal lasted over two hours in Manhattan and “resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”

Backgrid USA Inc., which represents some of the paparazzi who shot photos and videos of the couple on Tuesday, has reportedly rejected a demand to hand over the goods while maintaining that Harry and Meghan were never in any danger. The agency claims Harry’s security escort was the one driving recklessly.

On Thursday, a lawyer for the California-based photo agency told the BBC it received a letter the previous day from the legal team for Harry and Meghan.

The correspondence allegedly stated: “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.”

Backgrid said it replied to their lawyer with the following letter:

“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, as perhaps Kings can do. 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.”

“We stand by our founding fathers,” the letter concluded.

Prince Harry reportedly told friends that the highly publicized incident triggered memories of his mother’s tragic death at the hands of paparazzi in 1997, calling it the “closest” he has ever felt to understanding what Princess Diana endured while trying to escape photographers.