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Meghan Markle’s dad ‘very sorry’ about faked paparazzi photos as sister drops another bombshell

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Meghan Markle attends an Anzac Day dawn service at Hyde Park Corner on April 25. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
Meghan Markle attends an Anzac Day dawn service at Hyde Park Corner on April 25. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

Cape Town - It’s just days until Meghan Markle and Prince Harry pledge their undying love to each other at the altar.

Like any other bride Meghan (36), should be revelling in the run-up to her big day – but now the antics of her dad Thomas (73) have likely cast a shadow over her excitement.

So-called paparazzi snaps of Thomas hunched over a computer at an internet café in Mexico last week reading articles about his daughter set tongues wagging. Not long after, it emerged the seemingly candid snaps were staged – and Thomas had been paid for them.

But it looks as though Thomas isn’t the only one to blame. In a sensational twist, Meghan’s estranged sister, Samantha Markle (53), has accepted full responsibility for what’s happened, Daily Mail reports.

She claims the staged photo session of her father was actually her idea. “I'm entirely the culprit. I said to him to show the world ‘I'm getting in shape and getting healthy’ so I suggested it to benefit him and the royal family.”

And Samantha is adamant the money wasn’t a factor. 

“We had no idea he would be taken advantage of. It was not for money.” 

Thomas Jnr (51), Meghan’s half-brother, also jumped into the fray, telling the Mirror, their father is “very sorry” about the photo debacle.


“He’ll apologise sincerely to Meg,” said Thomas Jnr – who recently penned an open letter to Harry, warning him against marrying Meghan.

Their father feels “deeply humiliated” about the incident, he says.

According to the manager of the internet café, it was Thomas’ first visit to the shop and he arrived there in the company of the photographer.

American paparazzo Jeff Rayner, who wielded the camera, has sold the pics for a cool £100 000 (R1.6m).

But according to a friend, not much of that money reached Thomas’ purse.

The friend says Thomas didn’t have any choice but to go along with the photo session, but now he’s the one who’s landed in hot water.

Thomas Jnr says people shouldn’t be so quick to judge his father. “They have no idea how much scrutiny we live under. Normal life to us now is being under the spotlight every day.”

Thomas Jnr and Samantha are not among the 600 guests invited to the wedding but at this stage, Thomas will be walking his daughter down the aisle on Saturday, The Telegraph reports.

Sources: Daily Mail, Mirror.co.uk, The Telegraph

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