Prince Harry, Meghan Markle have been smart to skip newest awards gala: Princess Diana’s former bodyguard

Meghan Markle’s absence from the Gracie Awards on Could 23 was a smart transfer, in response to Princess Diana’s former bodyguard.

Markle, who was named a digital media nationwide winner for the 49th annual awards, didn’t make an look on the ceremony in Los Angeles. The Gracie Awards got here simply days after the Duchess of Sussex and her husband Prince Harry claimed that they had been adopted by paparazzi in a “relentless pursuit” after leaving an occasion in New York Metropolis.

Lee Sansum, who labored to guard Princess Diana in the summertime of 1997 shortly earlier than her dying, informed Fox Information Digital that he helps Markle’s determination to skip the occasion.

“The paparazzi would have been insane,” in response to Sansum.

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Sansum was assigned to guard Princess Diana whereas she was courting Egyptian movie producer Dodi Fayed. He defined that generally a chase might be provoked.

“Individuals will provoke a chase to get the image,” he mentioned. “And it may not be the cameraman, or the digicam individuals, ought to I say. However hey, let’s pay a pair vehicles right here to only . . . be decoys and simply to actually give them one thing simply to get response.”

“They only need to snap one shot, one shot, that is acquired, ‘Oh Meghan’s misplaced the plot.’ So . . . they create this surroundings.”

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The previous bodyguard additional defined how paparazzi will someday create conditions to get their ‘cash shot.’

“I have been on this state of affairs the place . . . individuals are going to become profitable out of it, and so they’re to attempt to get the automobile to do one thing loopy or simply even hit one thing, , hit one other automobile. Are you able to think about that?”

“Meghan’s driver working away from the paparazzi hit this poor particular person?”

“If I used to be giving her safety recommendation at this second in time, I might have mentioned, ‘Meghan, depart it. Let’s simply let this simmer down. Simply depart it.'”

The royal couple, alongside along with her mom, have been leaving the Girls of Imaginative and prescient Awards on Could 16, the place Markle was honored for her charitable work by the Ms. Basis, once they have been pursued by paparazzi.

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A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Markle informed Fox Information Digital: “Final night time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland have been concerned in a close to catastrophic automobile chase by the hands of a hoop of extremely aggressive paparazzi.”

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in a number of close to collisions involving different drivers on the street, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. Whereas being a public determine comes with a degree of curiosity from the general public, it ought to by no means come at the price of anybody’s security.”

In keeping with royal watcher Omid Scobie, the paparazzi have been confronted by police a number of instances as they chased the royal couple, who have been on their method to a non-public residence the place they have been staying. Scobie alleged on Twitter that the photographers had pushed on a sidewalk, run by way of pink lights, reversed down a one-way avenue, photographed the couple whereas driving and illegally blocked a transferring automobile.

Prince Harry, Markle and her mom are “understandably shaken however grateful everybody’s protected,” a supply informed Scobie.

New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams criticized the “reckless and irresponsible” incident throughout a press convention, but additionally mentioned he discovered it “onerous to consider” a “two-hour, high-speed chase” occurred within the densely populated metropolis wrought with visitors, pedestrians and ongoing building tasks.

And Julian Phillips, NYPD deputy commissioner of public data mentioned, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their vacation spot and there have been no reported collisions, summonses, accidents, or arrests in regard.”

This text was initially revealed by foxnews.com. Learn the original article here.