Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)

Family still clueless on whether dad will walk her down aisle

- SEE PAGES 8&9

ROYAL bride-to-be Meghan Markle poses with her dad, uncle and cousins for a happy family birthday picture in 2000.

But 18 years on, none of the relatives around her are smiling.

Because with five weeks to go to the Big Day, it looks like Meghan could be the ONLY member of the Markle family at her wedding to Prince Harry.

Even her dad Thomas, the man who is poised to walk her down the aisle at Windsor Castle, has no idea whether he will be there.

And invites already dished out to the couple’s celeb pals, from the Beckhams and Spice Girls to tennis star Serena Williams and Made In Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh, have only served to deepen her family’s anger.

Her cousin Trish Gallup reveals today she has even written to Clarence House, enclosing the picture on these pages, asking why the family has been snubbed.

But staff turned her Fedex package away. She also wrote in desperatio­n to Prince Harry through an address she found online, sending the same pictures – but has had no reply.

Now some family members are urging Meghan’s 73-year-old dad to demand answers from Buckingham Palace – and to find out if they have all been snubbed because of the controvers­ial behaviour of some of her relatives.

FIREARM

Her older half-sister Samantha Grant, 53, is writing a tell-all book about the 36-year-old future Princess. And halfbrothe­r Thomas Jr, 51, faced firearm charges in January last year for allegedly holding a gun to his girlfriend’s head during a drunken argument in Oregon. The case was later dropped.

But Meghan’s uncle Michael, 78, said other family members deserved to be there – especially her dad. “I talked to Thomas last week and he didn’t seem to know what the problem was,” said Meghan’s uncle Michael, 78, who lives in Palm Beach, Florida.

“He told me he hasn’t heard anything and he didn’t even know if he would be walking Meghan down the aisle.

“He’s very private, but I don’t see how you can be the father of the bride and be a shrinking violet. I think he has to step up and I think he’s willing to do that.”

Michael, a former US government worker who helped secure Meghan a college internship in Argentina, added: “I don’t know what the hell is going on.

“But someone has to get through and find out if Meghan is turning these letters away or what.

“I’m sure she doesn’t want some of the Markles there, but myself and my brother Fred and my two girls would like to go.”

Last week Meghan’s halfsister Samantha, slammed the exSuits star for “inviting strangers to the Royal Wedding and not her family”.

Around 600 guests are

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