Virginia Blackburn

OH THOMAS… Thomas, Thomas, Thomas. That’s Thomas Markle who, more than a month after that unfortunate no-show at the wedding, is continuing to open his mouth and place his foot in it. First it was Prince Harry’s views over Brexit, next the prospect of royal babies and most recently a request to meet the Queen. She’s met Donald Trump, he pointed out, so why not him? Well, Donald Trump is the President of the United States but that’s neither here nor there. And given that Thomas has yet to meet his new son-in-law, let alone the son-in-law’s family, chances of an invitation to Buck House look pretty slim at the moment – but that’s neither here nor there either. What really is a mystery though is why the Windsors are allowing this situation to go on. How long until Meghan’s father says something that really does cause serious upset?

I have every sympathy for Thomas Markle. I cannot imagine anything worse than being plunged into the international spotlight. It’s not his fault his daughter has married a prince and neither is it his fault that he doesn’t know how to behave in such a situation. Most people wouldn’t, especially if they don’t really understand the relationship between the UK and the royals (even the Middleton embarrassing relative, black sheep Uncle Gary, usually manages to keep his mouth shut). But why is no one working the situation out?

One of the worst modern-day fixes you can find yourself in is to find yourself famous but poor: the world’s attention is on you but you can’t afford to run off to a private island until you’ve sorted yourself out. That is the position Thomas Markle is in and what’s worse is that the family