Markle clan ‘frightfully common’ says Charles’s pal
After Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince Harry had started courting Suits actress Meghan Markle, the Prince issued an impassioned statement condemning the Press for its so-called ‘abuse’ of his girlfriend who is now is wife.
Perhaps Harry should have extended the warning to his father Prince Charles’s friends, too.
Last night, Old etonian interior designer Nicky Haslam, 78, who is a good friend of the royals, launched an astonishing verbal assault on the Duchess of Sussex’s family whom he deems ‘common’ as well as making disobliging remarks about her wedding dress.
Born to one of Queen Victoria’s goddaughters, Haslam socialised with Princess Diana, has worked for Prince Charles, and once sang in front of the Queen.
the designer believes the absence of Meghan’s siblings and father thomas Markle from the royal nuptials was a blessing in disguise. Markle senior cancelled his appearance because of a heart operation after selling staged images of himself a week before the wedding.
‘they’re frightfully common,’ says Haslam. ‘It would have been awful if that huge lump [Meghan’s father] had been there.
‘the royals probably don’t quite know how to deal with them.’
Haslam makes an exception for Meghan’s mother, Doria ragland. ‘One person who wasn’t common was her mother,’ he concedes.
Haslam also criticised Meghan’s £200,000 Givenchy bridal gown by British designer Clare Waight Keller.
‘I didn’t very much like her dress — it didn’t fit, among other things,’ he adds. ‘It should have been made of thinner stuff, it seemed to be made of concrete.’
Might Haslam, who is also a cabaret singer, be upset that he wasn’t booked to perform at the royal wedding?
Harry and Meghan still have a chance to see him — as he’s singing tonight at the Pheasantry on Chelsea’s King’s road at 8.30pm.