Prince Harry Has Better Understanding of Mom Diana's Death After Paparazzi Car Chase, Friends Say

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is reportedly more aware of the ongoing media attention – sometimes dangerous – that his late mother, Princess Diana, experienced. Harry is telling friends that his recent scary car chase incident in New York is the "closest I have ever felt" to understanding what happened on the night his mother died in a car crash, PEOPLE reports. The late Princess of Wales died in a Paris car crash in 1997 amid a high-speed car crash involving ruthless paparazzi chasing her vehicle.  Harry was 12 years old.

It's not the first time he's spoken about the remnants of his mother's tragic death and how the British media has made life more difficult for him and his family. In fact, the parallels between the way Princess Diana was swarmed and the negative press his wife Meghan Markle received while upholding their royal titles is what contributed to the infamous Mexit. 

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry recalled driving through the same tunnel where Princess Diana's car fatal car accident happened 10 years after her death in an attempt to find closure. He considered his mother to be brave for handling life after her divorce from Prince Charles with poise while also refusing to be silenced about being mistreated, similarly to Meghan. 

A rep for Harry and Meghan released a statement to the media after the incident in NYC, saying: "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. 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."

The NYPD followed it up with their own statement confirming that authorities assisted the couple's security team in an attempt to keep them as secure as possible, knowing their high profile. 

"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."