ROYALSMeghan Markle and Prince Harry NYC Car Chase Occurred Because Couple Were 'Too Cheap' to Get Hotel Room: Source
May 19 2023, Published 10:00 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's car chase occurred because the duo didn't opt to stay in New York City when they came to town for an event on Tuesday, May 16.
As OK! previously reported, the California-based pair got into a "near-catastrophic car chase" with paparazzi in the Big Apple.
However, the whole incident could have been avoided if they had gotten a hotel room, but apparently, the prince, 38, who left the royal family in 2020 didn't want to pay the heavy fee.
“They should have just gotten a hotel for the safety of everyone. Instead, they were cheap and wanted a free place to stay," the source said, referring to how they stayed a pal's house on the Upper East Side. “Harry and Meghan’s people called the Carlyle ahead of the trip and asked for a discounted room, and the hotel said no."
“If they had just paid up and got a hotel in the first place, this supposed ‘dangerous’ paparazzi chase around town would never have happened. They would have been driven back to the Carlyle, been photographed going inside and that would have been the end of it," the insider continued.
Meghan, 41, and Harry previously stayed at the Carlyle hotel, where rooms cost a fortune — anywhere from $1,240 to $6,000 a night.
- Snubbed! No Royal Family Members Reached Out to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle After NYC Paparazzi Car Chase, Source Reveals
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Rep Responds to Claims That 'Near Catastrophic Car Chase' in NYC Was PR Stunt
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Chose to be Photographed by Paparazzi Before 'Catastrophic Car Chase'
Harry, Meghan and the actress' mother, Doria Ragland, were scared when they were being chased all over the streets of Manhattan.
"There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging," their statement read. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard."
Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!
After the story unfolded, several people exposed their lies, insisting it wasn't as scary as it sounded.
"I was on 67th Street and then the security guard hailed me. Next thing you know, Prince Harry and his wife were hopping into my cab," cab driver Sukhcharn "Sonny" Singh told the BBC about how he was chosen to give the pair a ride.
"We got blocked by a garbage truck, and all of a sudden paparazzi came and started taking pictures. They looked nervous. I think they were being chased the whole day or something. They were pretty nervous, but the security guard, he was on it."
