Now that we won’t be seeing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for weeks, media outlets have decided to run stories about “what Meghan should do about her terrible father.” I’ve said from the beginning that the British papers have no credibility regarding Thomas Markle: they’ve been in bed with him for months now, by purchasing the set-up photos of Thomas and then pretending they didn’t know the photos were set up, then repeatedly paying him for obviously coached interviews and then acting like it’s the worst thing in the world that… he accepted payment for the interviews. It’s enough. And maybe this month-long holiday will be a chance for the royal family to all get on the same page about how they deal with the Markles. That’s what sources tell Entertainment Tonight:

Meghan is still upset with her dad: “She has not spoken to her father in more than 10 weeks since her wedding and is still hurt by her father, who has both staged the photos and continues to give paid interviews,” the source says. “The Palace is at a loss of what to do and is re-evaluating options, including a more aggressive strategy to stem the embarrassment caused by Meghan’s dad, half-sister and half-brother.”

Meghan is completely in the royal fold: “Meghan has established a particularly warm relationship with her father-in-law and Prince Charles adores his new daughter-in-law,” the source says of Harry’s father. “He pulled out all the stops at Harry and Meghan’s wedding and Meghan was grateful to him for showing such generosity and support when her father pulled out of the wedding last minute.”

She’s going to Balmoral, and she might shoot stuff: “Meghan’s looking forward to spending time in the Scottish Highlands. [Prince] William, Kate [Middleton] and the kids [Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis] are also due to visit the Queen for their annual visit to her summer home. The vacation is filled with barbecues, hiking, and shooting, although it is unclear if Meghan will learn the sport that Kate has picked up from various visits.”

Samantha Grant on Meghan: “I speak to [Thomas Markle] every day and it’s sad but, no, they have not contacted him… There is no meeting planned, that is PR spin. The PR machines can stop trying to make out she’s making an effort — she is not. This is a heartbreaking time for him and I’m very sad watching my sister ignore him.”

[From ET]

“The Palace is at a loss of what to do and is re-evaluating options, including a more aggressive strategy to stem the embarrassment caused by Meghan’s dad, half-sister and half-brother.” The half-brother is a problem, make no mistake, but Ground Zero of Markle Shenanigans is Thomas and Samantha. Those two are the toxic twins, birds of a feather. She’s the abusive a–hole apple who didn’t fall from the toxic tree. I hope someone in one of the palace communications offices comes up with a better plan than “we’ll just ignore them and allow the public to see how toxic and awful they are.” Because that’s not working. The media is playing by a different set of rules.

Photos and screencaps courtesy of WENN, ITV, The Sun.