Lorraine Kelly issues a warning over Prince Harry and Meghan car chase saying “Please wear seat belts”

Lorraine Kelly has issued a warning on her self-titled ITV breakfast show following the news that Prince Harry and Meghan were involved in a “near catastrophic” car chase in New York on Tuesday (May 16). The presenter, 63, said she was “alarmed” when it appeared as though Harry and Meghan were not wearing seatbelts. 

Harry, Meghan and Meghan’s mother were hounded by paparazzi in a “relentless pursuit” that lasted for “two hours,” according to Harry’s spokesperson. The car chase became a prominent conversation on Lorraine’s show, as she was joined by former royal correspondent Jennie Bond. 

Jennie appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on Wednesday (May 17) and declared Harry should have got out of the car and “allowed" the paparazzi to take their pictures, adding that he shouldn't have put his wife and mother in law in “greater danger” by “allowing” a car chase to happen.

While on Lorraine, Jennie said she didn’t believe Prince William would be “picking up the phone” to talk to his brother after the dangerous event. As the interview drew to a close, Lorraine added what she had noticed when looking at the pictures of Harry and Meghan. 

She said:  "In one of the photographs, it looked very much like they weren't wearing seatbelts. Please wear seat belts everybody, especially if you are being pursued by the paparazzi for god's sake. Because I do remember with Diana, some doctor said that if Diana had been wearing a seatbelt she may, we don't know, but she may well have survived."

She added that the photos simply could have been taken at a time when they had removed their seat belts but urged viewers to always wear a seatbelt. 

Whether or not the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were actually wearing seatbelts has yet to be addressed. However, Prince Harry’s spokesperson released a statement regarding the incident. 

It read: “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. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”