Harry and Meghan: Angry US agency refuses to give footage of chase

An American photo agency that took pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during what the couple’s spokesperson described as a ‘near castestriphic’ car chase through New York City has refused to hand over the images and footage of them. 

Backgrid has said they rejected a legal demand from the royal couple to share all the material taken during the several hours in NYC on Tuesday night. 

In an angry tone, the company said Americans had rejected “royal prerogative” a long time ago. 

Backgrid, a California-based entertainment picture agency, said on Thursday it had received a letter from the couple’s legal team. 

They claim the letter 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 statement

The agency said it had replied in a 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.”

There have been conflicting accounts of what happened in NYC on Tuesday night. The agency said it will investigate the incident.