'SHOCKING'
Palace staff accused of ‘hanging Meghan Markle’s dad Thomas out to dry’ over Royal Wedding fiasco
KENSINGTON Palace have been accused of "hanging Meghan Markle's dad out to dry" over the Royal wedding fiasco.
Fuming social media users have flocked to defend Thomas Markle after it was revealed he was paid to pose for paparazzi pictures sold to news outlets worldwide.
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They slammed the Palace for showing Meghan's American family "no support" ahead of the Royal wedding on Saturday after her dad pulled out of walking her down the aisle.
He has now said he wants to attend but told his doctors might not let him travel due to recent health scares.
Many Brits have questioned why Prince Harry's future in laws weren't helped more by the Palace after their engagement was announced.
@ldobsonhughes said: "And yes, today will be devoted to speculation about Kensington Palace's comms strategy and whether they're hanging Thomas Markle out to dry cc @laura_payton @PatriciaTreble".
What we know so far...
- Meghan Markle's dad Thomas will reportedly undergo major heart surgery at 7.30am on Wednesday and WON'T attend the Royal Wedding on Saturday
- He'd earlier said he wouldn't be attending for fear of embarrassing Meghan and the royal family over staged paparazzi photos
- The 73-year-old suffered a heart scare last week which he has reportedly blamed on an open letter by his son Tom Jr
- Mr Markle backed Meghan's mum Doria Ragland to give her away instead after he pulled out
- Prince Harry was said to blame himself for the upset just days before the wedding
- But despite the chaos Kensington Palace sources said the wedding would still go ahead
- Piers Morgan slammed Meghan's half-sister Samantha, saying she had been a media "vulture", after she appeared on GMB to defend her dad
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@FastingRelay said: "Beyond me why someone in the royal household did not take Mr. Markle under their wing.
"It must terrifying to be stalked by the press and meeting the royals. Harry should have had the decency to meet MM's father and bring him to England earlier #NoExcuse."
@Bruce_ALLISON wrote: "With all their money why dont they send a team out to mexico to prepare him imagine if you lived in a small town & led a small life & your daughter told you she was marrying into one of the most famous families on the planet wouldnt you go into meltdown?"
@AntoniaDeeson said: "I don’t understand why the palace press office hasn’t been over in the US looking after Thomas Markle - they have left him to handle his own PR and look what’s happened... hung out to dry!"
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She continued: "Or why Markle’s dad hasn’t been over in the UK - getting to know his new son in law and being kept protected from world media - shocking people management".
@MarinaHyde said: "Has the Kensington Palace strategy and communications team resigned yet?"
Kensington Palace and its army of advisers have now been accused of a "communications disaster" by columnists after news broke yesterday that Thomas wouldn't be attending his daughter's wedding.
Jane Moore, writing for The Sun, has questioned how the wedding has been allowed to become like an "episode of Keeping Up With the Markles".
Meghan's half-sister has repeatedly hit out at former actress Meghan on TV - most recently today when Piers Morgan branded Samantha a "vulture" on Good Morning Britain.
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Piers Morgan calls Meghan Markle's half-sister Samantha Markle 'a little vulture' in row about media coverage of dad Thomas
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Her nephews and sister-in-law flew into Heathrow yesterday despite having no invite to the wedding so they can act as "special correspondents" for the ITV show.
And now Meghan's reclusive dad says he had a heart attack as it emerged he had been paid for paparazzi shots.
In their statement yesterday, Kensington Palace asked for the media to be "understanding" for Thomas in this "difficult situation".
But they have been accused by many of leaving Thomas to cope with the glare of the spotlight despite the royals supporting Kate Middleton's family in the run-up to her wedding with Prince William.
Before the engagement was even announced, Carole and Michael Middleton attended an intimate shooting weekend at Birkhal on the Queen's Scottish estate Balmoral.
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They had met the Royal family on several occasions before - including at Prince William’s graduation from Sandhurst - and were reportedly invited to stay with the Prince of Wales at Highgrove.
In June 2008 - two years before William and Kate announced their engagement - Carole was invited to the Royal box at Ascot to meet the Queen.
By 2012 after her daughter had married William, she seemed well and truly inside the Royal circle as she attended Ascot again and was pictured laughing and joking with the Duke of Edinburgh.
For the second year running, Carole and her husband secured places in the Queen's official carriage procession to the race meet.
By contrast, Meghan's dad still hasn't met any of his future in-laws - including Prince Harry - despite the couple dating for two years.
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Her mum Doria Ragland has met Prince Harry and is expected to meet the Queen ahead of Saturday's nuptials.
But as Jane Moore points out, Thomas should have been flown first class to the UK - paid for by the besotted couple - so he could be talked through what to expect on the big day.
If the reclusive dad-of-two didn't want to come ahead of time, Jane argues a bodyguard should have been sent to look after him until the wedding to avoid this sort of fiasco.
Kensington Palace refused to comment.
Stacey Solomon says Meghan Markle's dad was 'not supported by Palace'
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