IF the Royals seem dysfunctional then their newly extended family members, the Markles, take it to Olympian levels. The Royals and Royles you might say.
Meghan's dad Thomas may be embarrassed about the publicity he has brought over the wedding, but it pales in comparison to other members of the family who have bickered about each other, written accusatory letters, been arrested and tried to exploit the family name to screw every dollar they could out of the connection.
Thomas Markle Jnr, Meghan's half brother, spent time in a prison cell recently, his girlfriend in an adjoining one, after she allegedly assaulted him and a year after he is said to have put a gun to her head. Both charges were dropped.
Thomas urged Harry not to marry Meghan in an extraordinary open letter, accusing her of being "a jaded, shallow, conceited woman that will make a joke of you and the royal family heritage".
Thomas also can't stand his full sister Samantha, who isn't speaking to Meghan. Sam is writing a book, initially titled The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister. In turn, her daughter, 19-year-old Noel Rasmussen is estranged from her mother and lives with her gran, Thomas Markle's first wife.
The latest cast members to the Markle soap opera are the Dooleys, who flew into London to milk the connection, although they weren't invited to the wedding. Tracy Dooley was married to Thomas Jnr, Meghan's half-brother, and is a recovering alcoholic who hasn't seen Meghan in 20 years. She brought with her sons Tyler and Thomas. They are also plugging the strain of marijuana that Tyler is marketing in Oregon, where they have relaxed drug laws. The product is called Markle's Sparkle.
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