Meghan and Prince Harry looked nervous, says New York taxi driver

A New York City cab operator who drove the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for astir 10 minutes connected Tuesday nighttime arsenic they tried to shingle disconnected photographers has said the mates were intelligibly tense during the abbreviated journey.

Sukhcharn Singh, who goes by the sanction Sonny, told the BBC helium picked them up astatine a section constabulary precinct successful Midtown Manhattan.

Harry and Meghan's spokesperson has said successful a connection that the mates endured a "relentless pursuit" that lasted for much than 2 hours.

But Mr Singh, who witnessed 1 portion of the drama, did not characterise his thrust arsenic a unsafe pursuit by paparazzi.

Dressed successful a navy bluish garment and speaking to reporters extracurricular his family's location successful Queens, Mr Singh described the headline-making drive.

"I was connected 67th Street and past the information defender hailed me. Next happening you know, Prince Harry and his woman were hopping into my cab," helium said.

"We got blocked by a garbage truck, and each of a abrupt paparazzi came and started taking pictures." Harry and Meghan were astir to stock their destination erstwhile the information defender made the telephone to instrumentality to the constabulary precinct.

"They looked nervous, I deliberation they were being chased the full time oregon something," Mr Singh said. "They were beauteous nervous, but the information guard, helium was connected it."

In a statement, Harry and Meghan's spokesperson said they had experienced a "near-catastrophic car chase" connected Tuesday. New York constabulary confirmed an incidental and said galore photographers "made their transport challenging" - but that determination were nary reported collisions oregon injuries.

One of the paparazzi drivers reportedly progressive successful the car pursuit has said it was "very tense" trying to support up with their vehicle.

Speaking anonymously to ITV's Good Morning Britain connected Thursday, the operator said: "They did a batch of blocking and determination was a batch of antithetic types of manoeuvres to halt what was happening."

He added: "If it was unsafe and catastrophic, it was much than apt based connected the idiosyncratic that was driving."

Photo bureau Backgrid USA said it received photos of the lawsuit from photographers, "three of whom were successful cars and 1 of whom was riding a bicycle".

The bureau said it took Prince Harry's allegations earnestly and would beryllium conducting its ain investigation, but that according to the photographers, "there were nary near-collisions oregon near-crashes during this incident".

"It is important to enactment that these photographers person a nonrecreational work to screen newsworthy events and personalities, including nationalist figures specified arsenic Prince Harry and Meghan Markle," the bureau added.

The mates were successful New York attending an awards ceremonial - the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Awards - on with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland.

When they were chased aft leaving, the spokesperson said, they tried to instrumentality structure from the paparazzi by going to a Manhattan constabulary presumption - which is wherever Mr Singh picked them up.

For astatine slightest the fewer minutes they were successful Mr Singh's car, helium did not judge they were successful danger.

"I don't deliberation that's true, I deliberation that's each exaggerated and worldly similar that. Don't work excessively overmuch into that," Mr Singh said of the statement. He aboriginal added "that indispensable person happened before" they got successful his taxi.

"New York City's the safest spot to be," helium continued. "There's constabulary stations, cops connected each corner, there's nary crushed to beryllium acrophobic successful New York."

The paparazzi were not being assertive during his drive, helium said.

"They were down us. I mean, they stayed connected apical of us, that was beauteous overmuch it, it was thing more. They kept their distance."

Mr Singh described Harry and Meghan arsenic "nice people".

"At the extremity of the trip, they say, 'Oh bully gathering you'," and asked his name, Mr Singh recalled. As his passengers disembarked, the information defender paid and tipped him for the ride.

"It was great. Ten-minute drive, $50," helium said. "What tin you inquire for? You can't bushed that!"

Was Mr Singh dazzled by his celebrated passengers? Not particularly.

"I person besides picked up Keith Richards successful my cab arsenic well," Mr Singh said. "I prime up celebrities each the time. I didn't deliberation overmuch of it erstwhile they got in, either."

After speaking to reporters for a fewer minutes, Mr Singh got backmost successful his yellowish cab and drove disconnected to Midtown, for different agelong time of ferrying passengers.