When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot on May 19, many royal observers will be closely watching the bride鈥檚 side of the aisle.
Ever since the couple announced their engagement late last year, rumours about the Markle family rifts have intensified, with dozens of tabloid headlines about her 鈥渆stranged鈥 siblings and 鈥渟trained鈥 relationship with her father.
Markle鈥檚 divorced parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, issued a joint statement after the engagement announcement, wishing the couple 鈥渁 lifetime of happiness.鈥 But some British media outlets have been reporting that it鈥檚 unlikely Markle鈥檚 older half-siblings, from her father鈥檚 previous marriage, will attend the wedding.
From her sister鈥檚 upcoming tell-all book, to her brother鈥檚 troubles with the law, the Markle family drama has provided tabloids with plenty of fodder over the last few months.
The tell-all book
Before Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement, the bride-to-be鈥檚 half-sister, Samantha Markle, was already giving eyebrow-raising media interviews and promoting her upcoming book, The Diary of Princess Pushy鈥檚 Sister.
But despite the unflattering-sounding title, Samantha insisted the book will be positive. She told the Good Morning Britain TV show last October that it鈥檚 鈥渙nly a tell-all in that I go through and recant some of the beautiful nuances of our lives, our family home.鈥
However, she also said the world 鈥渨ill be surprised鈥 by the contents of the book.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much the public doesn鈥檛 know.鈥
In a separate interview months later, Samantha revealed that it had been three years
The family Markle 鈥榥ever had鈥
After Prince Harry guest-edited a BBC Radio 4 show inlateDecember, he was asked about his fiancée鈥檚 first Christmas with the Royal Family. Prince Harry said Markle fit right in and his family 鈥渓oved having her there.鈥
鈥淪he鈥檚 done an absolutely amazing job鈥t鈥檚 the family that I suppose she鈥檚 never had,鈥 he told a BBC interviewer.
That comment did not sit well with Markle鈥檚 half-siblings, who described it as hurtful.
鈥淪he has a large family. She always did,鈥 . 鈥淥ur dad is amazing and completely self sacrificing.鈥
Markle鈥檚 half-brother, Tom Markle Jr., told The Daily Mail that Prince Harry鈥檚 comment was 鈥渟hocking, because Meghan had an amazing, amazing childhood growing up.
鈥淪he had a lot of family, especially at Christmas and holidays,鈥 he said.
Markle Jr. also said his father 鈥渨ould be a little confused 鈥 at (Prince Harry鈥檚) statement.鈥
Who will walk Markle down the aisle?
Some British tabloids have suggested that Markle is not close with her father, a former television lighting director who is said to have filed for bankruptcy in 2016 and now reportedly lives in Mexico.
When Prince Harry and Markle gave their first joint interview as an engaged couple to the BBC in late November, they revealed that Harry hadn鈥檛 yet met his future father-in-law, but had spoken to him several times.
Prince Harry called his fiancee鈥檚 mother Doria, a social worker and yoga instructor who lives in Los Angeles, 鈥渁mazing.鈥 Many have suggested that Doria will be the one walking Markle down the aisle.
But Samantha Markle has dismissed those reports as 鈥渓ies, lies, lies.鈥
鈥淪top being so gullible people! Readers have all gone mad to believe anything in tabloids! Dad will walk her down the aisle all of this rubbish that says he is not, is to generate sales!," she tweeted in early January. She has since made
Tom Markle Jr.鈥檚 run-in with the law
Markle鈥檚 half-brother was reportedly arrested in January, 2017 after an alleged domestic violence incident involving a gun at his home in Grant Pass, Ore.
, Tom Markle Jr. blamed the arrest on his drinking. He said he was 鈥渋ncredibly sorry鈥 for his actions and vowed to seek help.
On New Year鈥檚 Eve, there was another incident at the home Markle Jr. shared with his fiancée. His fiancée was initially arrested, but authorities decided not to lay any charges against her, according to The Sun.
that Markle Jr. 鈥渂lamed the pressure of being in the public eye鈥 since his sister鈥檚 engagement to Prince Harry.
The rift between the Markle siblings
Samantha Markle and Tom Markle Jr. have publicly disparaged one another.
Last December, Samantha posted articles about her brother鈥檚 run-ins with the law and in one tweet wrote: "#TomMarkleJunior needs to stop disparaging my father who disowned him long ago for being a lying thief."
Samantha also joked on Twitter about her 鈥渞oguish鈥 brother crashing the royal wedding. She has since made her Twitter account private.
In an article published in early February, Markle Jr. claimed that when he tried to reach out to Meghan, she snubbed him through a lawyer and allegedly referred to him as 鈥渄istant family.鈥
Markle Jr. called it 鈥渁 slap in the face.鈥
Markle鈥檚 ex-husband
Years before she met Prince Harry, Markle married film producer and talent manager Trevor Engelson at a beach ceremony in Jamaica. The couple had been dating for about seven years before tying the knot in 2011, but the marriage lasted only two years.
After Markle鈥檚 relationship with Prince Harry became public, Engelson raised eyebrows for his work on a 鈥渇ictional鈥 TV series described as a 鈥渄ivorce comedy鈥 involving the Royal Family.
, the project鈥檚 premise is: 鈥淒ivorce is hard. Sharing custody is harder. Sharing custody with the British Royal family when your wife marries a prince, in the unforgiving spotlight of London鈥檚 tabloid media, is next level.鈥
While much of the show鈥檚 description sounds like it was inspired by Engelson鈥檚 relationship with Markle, the couple did not have any children together.
