Reports suggest that Harry and Meghan Markle made quite an extravagant entrance at the World Mental Health Day Festival in New York City. They opted for a seven-car convoy that circled a single block, aiming to reach the festival held near the Equinox hotel in Hudson Yards.
Their route took them left on 33rd Street, in accordance with the one-way street, eventually ending up at another garage on 33rd Street, located just 200 feet from the starting point. This conspicuous procession included seven imposing, blacked-out SUVs, often considered gas guzzlers, and was accompanied by NYPD escorts as they navigated the streets of Manhattan.
However, keen-eyed royal enthusiasts have spotted a curious detail. According to observations on the Roy Grift YouTube channel, when an NYPD escort is in place, the vehicles involved are typically adorned with flashing lights to signify the police presence. Nevertheless, in a video obtained by The Daily Mail, there were no flashing lights accompanying Meghan’s entourage.
This observation led several royal fans to question the veracity of Harry and Meghan’s claims. One user expressed their skepticism, stating that there was no police escort and accusing the couple of lying to the press, asserting that the vehicles were not even police cars.
Another commenter confirmed this skepticism, asserting that the couple had indeed lied about their convoy, as there was no police escort, and the Chevrolet Suburbans and SUVs appeared to be privately hired vehicles meant to bolster their image. A third commenter, who claimed to reside in the area, confirmed that only one car with two press occupants was closely following the couple.
Even when questioned about the incident on-air, the press personnel allegedly shrugged and acknowledged that they merely required a close-up photo opportunity with Harry and Meghan.
The commenter further suggested that the cars were likely hired as part of their effort to seem important, echoing the previous visit of Prince William to New York, which featured a relatively modest entourage of four vehicles.
This consisted of a marked white police car with flashing lights at the forefront, followed by an unmarked car without visible lights, and two unmarked black SUVs, both featuring flashing lights. The suggestion here is that they could have employed off-duty police officers to serve as their private security detail rather than having an official police escort.
Nonetheless, uncertainties persist about Harry and Meghan’s account of a previous visit to the city in May. At that time, their spokesperson described the car journey as nearly catastrophic, emphasizing their ordeal during a relentless two-hour pursuit by highly aggressive paparazzi. This description contrasts with New York police’s assessment, which characterized the incident as somewhat chaotic rather than near catastrophic. Julian Phillips, Deputy Commissioner of Public Information in New York, revealed that the NYPD provided assistance to the couple’s private security team. In the midst of these conflicting accounts, New York Mayor Eric Adams expressed empathy for the couple, condemning the paparazzi’s actions as reckless and irresponsible, while expressing doubts about the existence of a two-hour high-speed chase.
