Meghan 'set alarm bells ringing' at the Palace from the start. As their star wanes, there are two mistakes from those days she and Harry must fix, writes RICHARD EDEN

There will beryllium mixed emotions erstwhile Thomas Markle wakes up astatine his cliff-side location successful Rosarito, Mexico, today.

This is his 80th birthday. Yet amid nan galore cards and presents waiting to beryllium unwrapped, location will apt beryllium thing from his celebrated daughter, Meghan.

Tom Markle is not expecting truthful overmuch arsenic a telephone call. Not moreover an email.

'I've ne'er been 1 for birthdays, but I cognize nan 1 personification I astir want to perceive from, Meghan, won't beryllium successful touch,' he lamented to my workfellow Caroline Graham successful The Mail connected Sunday.

'I would emotion to meet my grandchildren, but I would beryllium happy pinch a photograph astatine this stage.'

Mr Markle has ne'er met five-year-old Prince Archie aliases Princess Lilibet, who turned 3 past month.

Nor has he ever met his son-in-law, nan Duke of Sussex, though nan 2 were introduced connected nan telephone by an excited Meghan erstwhile her romance first began.

Mr Markle became estranged from his girl successful 2018. Having posed for pictures successful arguable circumstances he was past incapable to locomotion her down nan aisle. The erstwhile Hollywood lighting head had suffered 2 bosom attacks connected nan eve of Harry and Meghan's wedding. The mates person not spoken to him since.

Queen Elizabeth was truthful alarmed by Meghan's estrangement from her begetter that nan precocious monarch suggested Meghan constitute to him.

In her Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan, nan duchess confirmed she had sought nan Queen's advice.

As she put it: 'I reached retired to Her Majesty and was, like, 'This is what's going on. What do you want maine to do? I want...whatever proposal you have.'

'Ultimately, it was suggested by nan Queen and nan Prince of Wales [now King Charles] that I constitute my dada a letter.'

Which she did – though not pinch nan results that Queen Elizabeth had possibly intended.

Speaking later astir nan lengthy missive he received, Mr Markle said: 'I thought it would beryllium an oliva branch. Instead, it was a dagger to nan heart.'

The precocious Queen had realised nan value of Meghan's estrangement from her father.

'Meghan's nationalist disagreements pinch her begetter group siren bells ringing astatine nan time,' a royal root tells me. 'Her Majesty realised nan imaginable harm they could do to nan Royal Family successful general.

'Looking back, nan Queen mightiness person had an inkling of what was to come,' says nan source.

Since then, of course, Meghan has not only become estranged from Mr Markle, his different children and her half-brother and sister but from nan wider Royal Family, besides – arsenic different day reminded america this week.

Queen Camilla, who turned 77 yesterday, was truthful shocked by Harry's attacks connected her successful his memoir, Spare, that 1 of her closest friends, nan Marchioness of Lansdowne, took nan highly different measurement of speaking retired successful public to take sides her.

In nan book Harry described his stepmother arsenic 'dangerous' and a 'villain' who had sacrificed him 'on her individual PR altar'.

According to Lady Lansdowne, nan Queen was wounded by specified a individual attack: 'It bothers her.'

In caller months, Harry and Meghan person given nan belief they are keen to mend fences pinch nan Royal Family.

They appeared eager to fto it beryllium known that they had enjoyed a friends telephone speech pinch King Charles connected his day past autumn.

Harry surely rushed to spot his father, flying much than 5,000 miles crossed nan Atlantic aft nan King's crab test was made public.

Yet still nan Sussexes look wished to consequence conflict.

Harry's determination to spell up and cod nan Pat Tillman grant past week – contempt protests from thousands of group including nan precocious American hero's ain mother, Mary – was a motion of nan couple's stubborn refusal to heed criticism.

With their fame seemingly connected nan wane successful nan US, possibly it's clip to mend a fewer fences backmost successful Britain. 

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