Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Friend Speaks Out Following Car Chase: ‘They Have Babies at Home’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously tapped Misan Harriman to photograph some of their most intimate family moments, from Meghan’s 2021 pregnancy announcement to Princess Lilibet’s 1st birthday photos.

Misan Harriman is sharing support for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry after paparazzi chased their car in New York City.

“They need to be protected, this is unacceptable and terrifying, they have babies at home….. sigh,” Harriman tweeted on Wednesday, referencing the couple’s children Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 23 months. The message accompanied a retweeted video of New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams briefly speaking about the incident during an unrelated public safety announcement earlier that day.

“It’s clear that the press, paparazzis, they want to get the right shot, they want to get the right story, but public safety must always be at the forefront,” Adams said in the clip from Sky News.

“The briefing I received, two of our officers could have been injured. New York City is different from a small town somewhere. You shouldn’t be speeding anywhere, but this is a densely populated city and I think all of us… I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how his mom died and it would be horrific to lose innocent bystanders during a chase like this, and something to have happened to them as well, so I think we have to be extremely responsible,” the mayor shared, referencing Prince Harry‘s mother Princess Diana. The late Princess of Wales died in a 1997 car crash in Paris that also involved photographers pursuing her vehicle.

On Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE that Prince Harry, Meghan and her mother, Doria Ragland, were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” while being pursued by “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” in the city on Tuesday night. The trio was attending the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Awards at Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan where Meghan, 41, was honored — and she brought along her husband, 38, and mother, 66, as her surprise guests to the event.

“Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”

On Wednesday, the NYPD released a statement to PEOPLE confirming that authorities assisted Prince Harry and Meghan’s security team, saying their travel was made “challenging” by paparazzi.

“The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” the statement said. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”

Harriman, a photographer, entrepreneur, social activist and friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, shared a congratulatory message for Meghan on social media earlier Tuesday evening.

“Congratulations M,” he tweeted with a string of heart emojis, posting photos of Meghan with Harry, Doria, Gloria Steinem, the founding president of the Ms. Foundation for Women, and Teresa Younger, the current CEO.

Harriman and Meghan have celebrated each other’s professional milestones in the past. The Duchess of Sussex recently made a surprise virtual appearance to introduce her friend before he gave a TED Talk.

“Our next speaker has an unmatched eye for a good photograph. I’ve experienced his talent firsthand as he’s captured many meaningful milestones for me and my family, and I know there are many others who share in this experience,” Meghan began the tribute in April.

“His lens has photographed everything from events that have changed the world, invisible moments we all desperately needed to see, along with some of the planet’s most recognizable faces,” she continued. “But this was not always his path, and you might be surprised to hear not who, but what, he credits for his success. I’m so thrilled to welcome to the stage, my dear friend, Misan Harriman.”

Harriman, who took some of the most circulated photos of the Black Lives Matter movement and serves as chair of the Southbank Centre in London, has also captured some of Harry and Meghan’s most intimate family moments. The photographer snapped the couple’s 2021 pregnancy announcement and Princess Lilibet’s 1st birthday photos in June 2022. Harriman and his family were guests at Lili’s Frogmore Cottage birthday party, and he later appeared in the Harry & Meghan docuseries, which debuted on Netflix in December.