Why Meghan Markle's estranged family are set to become a problem again
Watch the full episode 12 of Yahoo UK’s The Royal Box here.
Since the moment Meghan Markle‘s engagement to Prince Harry was announced, the former Hollywood actress’ family has bought non-stop drama to the lives of the Royal Family.
The 37-year-old’s estranged father and half-siblings have given numerous interviews criticising the Duchess of Sussex or the royal household itself.
Meghan’s relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, is believed to have grown frosty, and she has reportedly not spoken to him since the wedding in May after he was was caught staging paparazzi photos for money. He subsequently pulled out of walking his daughter down the aisle, reportedly due to health problems.
Thomas is reportedly desperate to heal the rift with his daughter, now that she’s expecting her first child. He revealed in an interview with the Mail on Sunday that he found out about the pregnancy on the radio.
And despite being met with a wall of silence from the Palace, this doesn’t appear to have discouraged her sister, Samantha Markle, from speaking out against Meghan on talk shows and on social media.
Samantha, 53, is reportedly planning to release a tell-all book about the Duchess around the time that her and Harry’s first baby is due in spring. It’s believed that she hasn’t had any contact with Meghan in 10 years.
She told Daily Star Online: “In The Shadows Of The Duchess covers everything… the world does not know truth total truth… (I’m) holding nothing back!
“From lullabies to lies..it’s all they’re in my book.”
But Meghan’s sister also has something else in the pipeline, which could cause more problems for the Duchess and the Royal Family in the new year.
Speaking to Yahoo UK’s ‘The Royal Box’, PR expert Nick Ede reveals that Samantha has filmed a reality show.
“[Samantha] has filmed a reality show by Endemol, so you know it’s going to be a big one.”
While details have been kept under wraps, it could result in another media storm for the royal couple ahead of the birth of their child in spring.
Endemol are the makers of Big Brother and Samantha was rumoured to be among the line-up for Celebrity Big Brother 2018 to start with.
Ede says: “Actually that was the reason she didn’t do it [Big Brother] that they had her for another show, which is going to be a worldwide show, which obviously will have a lot of attention.”
This could mean another slew of negative headlines at the beginning of the year, just as the Duke and Duchess prepare to welcome their first child.
While Kensington Palace released a statement on behalf of Meghan ahead of the wedding, confirming that her father would not be attending, they have not commented on any of the media interviews her family has given.
They also declined to comment on whether Thomas had been informed of his daughter’s pregnancy before the announcement.
Ede adds: “From a PR point of view, headlines will come back to her, it’s just when she’s having her baby.
“But the PR machine from the palace is going to be huge about the baby – who’s going to be the godmother etc? There’s going to be so many stories.”
There’s always excitement over a royal newborn, but could Meghan and Harry’s bundle of joy be overshadowed by Samantha’s reality show? Only time will tell.
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Read more from Yahoo Style UK:
Samantha Markle on Meghan and Prince Harry’s baby: ‘If my dad is excluded, I won’t be happy’
Meghan Markle bucks royal tradition by ‘spending days preparing her speeches’
Meghan Markle’s touching reunion with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen
