The Royal Family Is Reportedly In Total "Crisis" Over Thomas Markle

Over the weekend, Thomas "I Love the Press!" Markle gave yet another explosive interview to the press, spilling all kinds of tea about the royal family in the process—including a story about the time he hung up on Prince Harry (opens in new tab). And you might be wondering how the palace is reacting! Welp, hint: It's not going super great over there right now, guys.

According to royal reporter Richard Kay of The Daily Mail (opens in new tab), Thomas Markle's behavior is turning into an "existential crisis for the Queen’s family," with a source saying it is "probably too late" to get him in line without Meghan "turning up on her father’s doorstep—and even that might not work now."

A palace aide involved in William and Kate's royal wedding describes the royals' handling of Thomas as "inept," and says "The perception is that he was treated very much as an afterthought. No one went to visit him when the answer would have been to have someone fly out from London and explain to him how things were going to happen."

The aid continues, "Even after he started talking to the media it was not too late. When Kate’s uncle Gary found himself in the newspaper spotlight, he was brought into the fold, not excluded. He was told he would be invited to everything but that if he felt inclined to speak out and give interviews, we asked that he let us know in advance so that we would be prepared. No one seems to have thought of that this time."

The aide also explained, "The Palace should have invited the whole Markle family; they wouldn’t all have come and it would made them feel included and less likely to make the negative comments they have been making."

Apparently, the royals briefly had a plan for a PR rep to act as a go-between with Thomas and the royal family, but senior aids shut it down after learning the guy in question was a former journalist. "Prince Harry does not trust the media and he would never have supported that idea," a source says. "Frankly they should have been prepared to try anything by that stage. The trouble stemmed from well before the wedding when there must have been an opportunity for Harry and Meghan to pay a private visit to her father. This was long before he started giving interviews."

Another aide says, "It’s too late now for equerries or go-betweens to get to Mr Markle, it’s up to Meghan," adding that the Duchess needs to visit him to clear the air: "Clearly there is an issue of trust—will he blab about everything to the next microphone put under his nose? But he didn’t talk to the media for a long time earlier on. I would be encouraging her to say to him, 'Daddy, you are part of the family, come and meet everyone and we will put something in place for you.'