Tom feels such a fool
»»Paparazzi pic stunt leaves Meghan dad ‘embarrassed’ »»Son says he’ll apologise to daughter and the royals
thomas markle was left “deeply embarrassed” by the alleged paparazzi pictures scam that has stunned his family, a friend said yesterday.
Royal bride-to-be Meghan’s dad was caught seemingly staging a series of shots with a British photographer – after claiming he had been “harassed” by snappers as he prepared to walk his daughter down the aisle this week.
And hours before the stunt came to light, Kensington Palace had issued a warning to publishers to respect the 73-year-old’s privacy.
Courtiers last night insisted he would still give Meghan, 36, away at her wedding to Prince Harry, 33, on Saturday, despite the scam.
But son Thomas Markle Jr said his dad would apologise to Meghan and the Royal Family over the shots with Us-based paparazzo Jeff Rayner – which are said to have sold for €110,000 across the world.
worried
And one pal claimed the former TV lighting director was pressured into the stunt.
The friend added: “Tom now feels like a complete fool.
“He’s telling friends he feels scammed by those who did the pictures but more worryingly he now has to face the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family.
“Tom was worried about the trip over to the UK as it was. He does not like to be the centre of attention but now all eyes will be on him even more given what has now emerged.
“He’ll hate the fact that people think he has betrayed them and he’ll be fearful what they think.
“He was on the verge of not going before, but now he will be petrified of having to face the music.
“Meg will be worried for him but she’ll put him at ease.”
Thomas Jr said his dad would be full of remorse over the pictures, which include ones of him looking at internet pictures of his daughter and Harry and being measured up for a wedding suit.
He added: “He won’t saying anything publicly but he’ll apologise sincerely to Meg and the Royal Family.” But he also leapt to Thomas’s defence, claiming that the family have been under intense pressure since Meghan became engaged to Harry.
Thomas Jr said: “People are quick to judge but they have no idea how much scrutiny we live under.
“Ever since Meg’s relationship with Harry was made public two years ago we have lived our once normal lives under the spotlight every second. Nobody can understand what it is like opening your curtains in a morning and being watched by these paparazzi to going to bed at night and still seeing them there.
“If it is anything like what it has been for me, Dad will have been ground down.”
The friend has also claimed Thomas would not have been paid much for the snaps, despite how much they made – and if he had he would at most “received peanuts”.
The pal said: “For months he kept on being offered the chance to make ‘big money’. They were relentless in their pursuit.”
The pictures were allegedly staged to look like paparazzi shots close to Thomas’s home in Rosarito, Mexico. They also show him
browsing a book of British landmarks in Starbucks, jogging with weights and working out.
But witnesses claimed he arrived at each of the venues with the photographer over recent weeks.
In the internet cafe, on March 27 at 9.50am, the snapper can be seen just feet away on the other side.
Manager Jessica Anaya, 34, claimed: “The man and the photographer came in together. It was in the morning. They didn’t stay long and they left together.
“He [Thomas] had never come here before and I didn’t know who he was. He came in and paid to use the computer, while the other person was taking pictures.”
The man pictured supposedly measuring up Thomas, described as a “tailor”, was found to be 17-year-old student David Flores, who works in a party supply shop. He told how the two men turned up to a nearby suit hire store only to find it closed then approached him.
David claimed Thomas supplied him with the tape measure while Rayner snapped away.
And he told how the American gave him a tip of around €13.
The Starbucks barista who took Thomas’s order claimed he sat down and read the book while Rayner took shots from outside the cafe. Carlos Ortiz, 19, added: “Mr Markle sat in the window for half an hour. I thought it was some sort of photoshoot. I had never seen him here before or since.”
Hours before the alleged scam was revealed, Thomas had approached Kensington Palace to claim he was being pursued by a paparazzo. Publishers were later warned he was suffering due to media intrusion and did not want photocalls or interviews.
The Mirror approached contacted Mr Rayner, 44, for comment.
Sources close to Mr Rayner said he insisted the photos were not staged and said he “got lucky” whenever he travelled to Thomas’s home.
He founded Los Angeles agency Coleman-rayner in 2009 with business partner and fellow Brit Mark Coleman.