Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were criticised for bringing back their “four-car motorcade” for their latest outing in New York City. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the Big Apple on Wednesday and were spotted being followed around by a four-vehicle motorcade, nearly two week’s after Meghan was slammed for her “over the top” security measures during a similar trip to attend a Broadway show, according to Page Six.
Photos published by the outlet showed that the Sussex couple, along with their bodyguards, had two SUVs and two unmarked police vehicles as part of their entourage for their big outing for Meghan’s appearance at a TIME 100 summit. Earlier this month, on April 10, the duchess was spotted again in NYC being escorted by a similar entourage as she headed out for a meal and a Broadway show, while her husband had travelled to war-torn Ukraine.
A photographer at the time told the outlet that Meghan’s entourage was “absolutely abnormal” for celebrity standards, comparing it to Taylor Swift’s more “modest” approach.
They said: “Taylor [Swift] usually has two cars — her car that she’s in and a security car with her team.
“And if [Swift’s] going somewhere, she has a separate car on-site with her team already there, but they don’t travel together.”
They also claimed that other A-listers like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian usually only ride around with just two SUVs for them.
According to the outlet, it is not known whether the Sussexes’ police protection was provided at the cost of the taxpayer.
The Sussexes have previously said they feel unsafe in NYC following an “near-catastrophic” car incident in 2023 with the paparazzi.
Last year, the New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed that the incident did take place.
The police department said in a statement: “We found the following: reckless disregard of vehicle and traffic laws and persistently dangerous and unacceptable behaviour on the part of the paparazzi during the night in question.”
