Did Meghan ask sleazy Max Clifford to make her a star in Britain?

During her television interview after her engagement to Harry was announced, Meghan Markle insisted she ‘didn’t know much’ about the Prince before meeting him on a blind date.

The American former actress did, however, have a long-standing interest in becoming famous in this country.

indeed, word reaches me that Meghan was so keen she even consulted the notorious ‘kiss-and-tell’ publicist Max Clifford.

‘Meghan spoke to Max when she was looking for British representation,’ claims one of Clifford’s friends.

Another source close to the spin doctor alleges: ‘She considered Max while weighing up who was best placed to make her a star in the UK.’

A Kensington Palace source is, understandably, eager to play down the claims, insisting: ‘This is not true.’

Of course, Clifford is no longer around to give his side of the story, as he died in December at the age of 74, days after suffering a heart attack.

intriguingly, however, Meghan, now 36, did end up being represented by one of Clifford’s proteges, 38-year-old Jessica Huie.

The Londoner, who worked for Clifford for some six years, was employed by Meghan from 2015 with the task of raising her profile. She certainly succeeded: Meghan met Harry the following year.

Like Meghan, Jessica is the daughter of mixed-race parents and said of the Duchess earlier this year: ‘i liked her. We connected and we got talking about race. i found her impressive: she was quick-witted and honest.’

Whatever the truth of the claims, Meghan certainly had a lucky escape. Clifford was arrested in December 2012 on suspicion of sexual offences, as part of Operation Yewtree, soon after Meghan is said to have approached him.

in 2014, he was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on four girls and women aged 15 to 19 and sentenced to eight years in prison.

The publicist for famous names including Kerry Katona and the late Jade goody, Clifford was best known for selling tawdry accounts of affairs to red-top newspapers, which helped bring down Conservative ministers such as David Mellor.