Staying Strong

As scandals involving Kate Middleton’s and Meghan Markle’s families explode, the queen takes action

In an exclusive interview, Fergie opens up about her divorce from Josh Duhamel and how she’s moving forward.

On the surface, things have never been more joyful for the royal family. Kate Middleton and Prince William, both 35, are eagerly preparing for the arrival of their babies — identical twin girls, as Life & Style reported — in April. And Prince Harry is happily getting ready to announce his engagement to Suits star Meghan Markle, who’s been looking for a home in London.

But behind palace doors, new drama is erupting — and threatening to tear the royal family apart. A series of scandals involving members of both Kate’s and Meghan’s families have grabbed headlines across England, infuriating Queen Elizabeth II. The 91-year-old monarch is “sick and tired” of dealing with the constant stories about Middleton and Markle relatives, an insider reveals, and she’s decided to take action. Her first step: putting together a list of relations Kate and Meghan, 36, need to distance themselves from. Second step: putting her grandsons in the middle. “She’s already spoken to Prince William and told him to pass on her thoughts to Kate,” says the insider. Harry, 33, will soon face the same discomfort. “She worries that when she’s gone, the House of Windsor could fall apart” if she doesn’t do something, the insider says.

Kate’s maternal uncle, Gary Goldsmith, already was notorious for reportedly using cocaine back in 2009. And on Oct. 13, he made headlines again when he was arrested on domestic violence charges for allegedly assaulting his wife. The queen, who was already upset he’d recently written about Kate’s and sister Pippa’s diets on his blog, was enraged. Now, says the insider, she’s decided to keep him out of future royal events.

EVEN MORE DIRT

The queen is also considering blacklisting some of Meghan’s family. On Oct. 23, Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Grant, went on British TV to promote a book she’s writing, The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister, and to say that “of course I would go” to the wedding. Australian mag New Idea also recently published a report that Meghan’s father, Thomas, moved to Mexico after filing for bankruptcy in the U. S. last year. “[The queen] is obviously concerned about Meghan’s family,” says a source. Her advisers have even suggested she ban any relative who’s spoken to the press from attending the wedding. She’s weighing that hard line, says the source, but knows Harry would side with Meghan in a dispute.

Elizabeth’s biggest fear is what’s next. “People worry there are more scandals waiting to erupt once Harry and Meghan are married,” says the source. That has Elizabeth concerned the monarchy will be tarnished beyond repair. “The queen has been a shining example for 65 years,” notes the source, “and she doesn’t want her legacy to go up in smoke.”