There has been controversy on social media after news circulated that celebrity photographers chased Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan last Tuesday evening in New York, which almost caused a "catastrophic accident" for the couple.

In a statement sent to the media, Harry and Meghan's office said they faced a "near-catastrophic" chase for the car they were traveling in - along with Meghan's mother - after leaving a charity event in New York City, which lasted for more than two hours.

Exclusive: Member of Prince Harry and Meghan's security detail tells @MaxFosterCNN there were about a dozen vehicles pursuing the couple after last night's event in NYC.

"The public were in jeopardy at several points. It could have been fatal." pic.twitter.com/BqF3V0ZvWC

— CNN International PR (@cnnipr) May 17, 2023

The statement said the chase was carried out by "a gang of highly aggressive photographers and resulted in a number of close collisions involving two other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers."

"Being a public figure brings a level of attention, but this should not be at the expense of anyone's safety. The publication of these images, given the means by which they were obtained, encourages highly intrusive practices that are dangerous for everyone involved."

Chris Chanters, a member of Harry and Meghan's security team, said: "I've never seen anything like this before, what we're dealing with was very chaotic, there were dozens of vehicles, cars and bicycles.

American journalist Max Foster also quoted the security man as saying, "The public was endangered at several points, the event could have been fatal."

Sukcharan Singh, the driver of the car that carried the couple and Meghan's mother, told the media that the couple was "exaggerated" in describing the danger that surrounded them in their statement to the press.

"We were obstructed by a garbage truck, so the journalists suddenly rushed in and started taking pictures, and the couple was about to give me the address they were going to, but instead they told me to turn back," Singh said.

"The couple looked nervous, I think they were chased all day or something, because they really looked nervous. I think the description of the event is exaggerated, so don't care too much about it."

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. https://t.co/ABihLDNfBk

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 17, 2023

Asked if he felt he and those with him were in "danger", the driver replied: "Absolutely not, we were in a safe place, there was a police station nearby, police everywhere, there was nothing to be afraid of."

The driver further confirmed that he had not seen any reckless chases from photographers of his car as he picked up the couple, and said if that did happen, it must have happened before he picked them up.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called it "reckless and irresponsible" and told a news conference that "it's hard to believe there was a two-hour quick car chase. It's hard to believe."

Followers and interacting on social media platforms had different opinions, with some seeing Princess Diana, who died in a car accident after being chased by photographers in Paris, repeating the experience with her son Prince Harry, while others saw the couple lying to draw the attention of the press.

American journalist Meghan Kelly wrote: "I lived in Manhattan for 17 years, and there can't be a two-hour car chase. There are a lot of street lights and stop signs, traffic on foot and heavy car traffic, and there are hundreds of places where you can stop safely to protect yourself."

British journalist Piers Morgan said: "There was no chase for two hours, their story unfolds over time."

There was no 2-hour chase, their story is unravelling by the minute. https://t.co/L83WanRYRI

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 17, 2023