Royal Family

Thomas Markle insists he's too old and frail to pose any threat to famed paparazzo Jeff Rayner that would necessitate a restraining order ... but Jeff says he still needs the protection because he thinks Thomas has nothing to lose.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Thomas is asking a judge to terminate the 2-year restraining order put in place last month ... claiming Jeff is harassing him by, among other things, claiming Jeff lied about him having a gun.

In his request, Thomas writes ... "I am no threat to anyone because I'm 78 years old" ... adding he's had "2 heart attacks, one stroke, and have a cane for walking."

Jeff fired back in his own legal docs ... saying Markle's age and poor health are the exact reasons why he's still worried -- simply put, he thinks Markle has nothing to lose because his time is running out anyway.

He points to Markle's OG threat which read, "If they tell me I've got terminal cancer, then I'll kill [Jeff] because I have nothing to lose."

Jaire Alexander will be honoring Queen Elizabeth during the Green Bay Packers game in London on Sunday ... with these new custom cleats featuring Her Majesty.

TMZ Sports has learned the Packers organization reached out to celeb artist Joe Castro last month -- in order to have custom spikes made for their 25-year-old cornerback for their big game against the Giants.

"They wanted something to commemorate the Queen while they play in England," Castro tells us.

And, Castro delivered!!!

You can see a portrait of the Queen -- who sadly passed away on Sept. 8 at 96 years old -- in front of the United Kingdom flag on one side of the green-and-yellow-painted Adidas.

There's also a detailed design of London's skyline on the other side of the Pro Bowler's cleats.

Kim Kardashian's new podcast is taking over ... quite literally.

Her big true crime project, "The System," shot to the top of Spotify's "Top Podcasts" list this week -- surging past "The Joe Rogan Experience" and even the famed "Call Her Daddy" ... which fell in line behind her at #2 and #3, respectively.

Meghan Markle's podcast, "Archetypes," was #4 -- and from there you got "Huberman Lab," "Crime Junkie," "The Try Pod" and "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" ... in that order.

It's pretty impressive, considering this is less than a week old. If you're unfamiliar -- this first season of "The System" tackles a case pertaining to convicted murderer Kevin Keith ... whom Kim believes is innocent, only to dive deep into the deets/evidence.

Clearly there's interest in what she has to say in a podcast setting, but keep in mind -- this is a Spotify exclusive ... so it's hard to tell how "The System" would translate across other platforms. Rogan and Markle's podcasts are also exclusive to them -- so jury's out there too.

In any case ... she's all in on promoting it. Looks like KK snapped up some old-fashioned billboard advertising in Calabasas to plug the podcast, with her face front and center.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are softies for soft rock ... hitting up a Jack Johnson concert!

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex watched Jack do his thing Wednesday night at the Santa Barbara Bowl, an outdoor venue that was packed. They weren't exactly just part of the crowd ... they watched the show from a special section cordoned off from the masses, with 10 other folks.

They cut loose during the show, dancing, swaying to the music and clearly familiar with Jack's hits. It was clearly date night ... Harry and Meghan were standing as he wrapped his arm around her waist. They were also friendly with the small group in their section ... chatting them up.

Meghan and Harry arrived separately ... she got there around 8 PM and Harry pulled up about an hour later.

Of course, their night out comes weeks after Harry and Meghan went to the U.K. to attend all the Queen's funeral events, after she died last month.

Meghan Markle not only mirrors a woman in the royal family with MANY similarities ... she even dresses like her!

Photos surfaced this week of Meghan looking shockingly like Wallis Simpson. For those who don't know, Wallis Simpson was a divorcee and American actress who married King Edward VIII back in 1937. Edward had to make an incredibly hard choice, because the royal family did not allow members to marry divorcees, so he had to choose, and he chose love, abdicating the throne and leaving the country.

Sound familiar? Meghan was a divorcee and an American actress who married Prince Harry, and after it became unbearable for her to the point she was considering suicide, Harry left the royal family and left the country.

Oh yeah, King Edward VIII was Harry's great-granduncle!

Of course, Meghan's fashion choice could be coincidental, but we don't think so. The style of Meghan's dress is a dead ringer for Wallis', her hair is pulled back just like Wallis', and the bunched-up fabric around their necks -- identical.

Edward and Wallis was a true love story ... they were married until Edward died in 1972.

This isn't the first time Meghan has drawn up fashion comparisons to Wallis. In the infamous interview with Oprah, Meghan wore an Armani dress similar to a dress Wallis wore in a portrait.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's potential move up the road to an even more exclusive spot in Santa Barbara is cranking up the angst among the locals already ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the Homeowners Association (HOA) at Hope Ranch -- a super exclusive SB community  -- tell us there are a number of folks in that community who are fretting over Harry and Meg coming there ... because of all the baggage that comes with them.

We're told nobody in Hope Ranch holds ill will toward the Sussexes personally, but the fact is ... many feel they're going to bring a circus to their quiet, super-private burb ... since they're so famous and controversial, and our sources say that can present very real-world problems.

One of the issues worrying some Hope Ranch residents has to do with traffic as a result of PH and MM's presence. Traffic has always been an issue in Santa Barbara, where residents for decades have tried to protect their community from an influx of cars.

The roads there are narrow and winding, and with would-be paps flocking to snap the Royals ... some residents fear it could create peril, especially for kids who are playing and walking to school.

While there's certainly a lot of richies living at Hope Ranch, none of them are quite as high-profile as Harry and Meghan ... and we're told them coming in is stressing out a good number of the villagers.

As for their current Montecito neighbors, we talked to a few who've had no issues with the Royals being in their backyard.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have apparently outgrown their 10,000 square-foot mansion ... because they're reportedly looking for greener, larger pastures.

The self-exiled royals are on the hunt for a bigger house in the uber-exclusive Hope Ranch area about 10 miles away from Montecito -- AKA Oprah Country -- this according to the Santa Barbara News-Press.

They're currently in a super-fancy home on a huge parcel of land -- by SoCal standards -- but they're doing a lot of work from home and also raising their 2 kids, so they apparently want more space.

They spent around $15 mil for their current home, and the prices in the area the News-Press says they're looking go as high as $22 million.

The Hope Ranch area has an exclusive country club, golf course ... and access to all sorts of fun stuff, including tennis courts, picnic areas and equestrian trails.

It's unclear if they're just looking or if they've sealed the deal.

Queen Elizabeth II might have been one of the most complex, dynamic and beloved figures of the 20th century ... but her death certificate is simple, perhaps oddly so.

The official document was filed this week, revealing she passed at 3:10 PM local time on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland -- and the 96-year-old monarch's cause of death is listed as "Old Age."

That's it.

We gotta say, it's the first time we've seen a death certificate with so little information -- typically, there's something more medical listed ... like cardiac arrest or multiple organ failure. Then again, we haven't seen many any of these for British monarchs who sat on the throne for 70 years. The physician who declared her dead was Douglas James Allan Glass.

Interestingly, her only daughter, Princess Anne, is listed as the "informant."

Lack of detail aside, the certificate says Elizabeth Alexandra Mary -- her full given name -- was the widowed daughter of King George VI and Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon ... aka The Queen Mother.

Queen Elizabeth's funeral doesn't hold a candle to Princess Diana's when it comes to TV ratings -- in the U.S. and the UK -- but the reality is it's kinda hard to compare the events.

Indeed ... the TV ratings for QE2's burial ceremony Monday are in, and they pale in comparison to how many folks watched Diana's service in 1997 ... drastically so when it comes to us Yankees.

The Nielsen numbers are striking ... an average of 11.4 million viewers watched the Queen's state funeral -- this next to the 33.2 million people who watched Diana's funeral more than 2 decades ago in the States.

It was a little closer among the British -- about 27 million British people watched the monarch's final send-off, slightly less than the 32 million who tuned in for Di.

The one thing that's not accounted for here with the Queen's figures is that her procession was being live streamed across various digital platforms, and those numbers don't count in the Nielsen ratings. So, it's quite possible she did have a bigger raw number of worldwide viewers.

It's also unfair to compare just about ANY TV program today to one from 25 years ago ... the advent of streaming services has dramatically lowered TV ratings for even the biggest shows. And, ya can't ignore the facts surrounding both women's deaths -- Diana died in the prime of her life in a tragic car accident, as compared to the Queen ... who, while being widely beloved, was also 96 years old.

Justin Trudeau is coming under fire for his singing ... despite hitting the notes, folks are calling him tone-deaf for partying during Canada's official mourning period for The Queen.

The Canadian Prime Minister was out at a London hotel, Saturday night -- just 2 days prior to Queen Elizabeth's funeral at Westminster Abbey ... and folks aren't too happy with his decision to put on an impromptu hotel lobby concert.

Trudeau was spotted standing over a piano and belting out "Bohemian Rhapsody" with other members of his delegation. You can hear him singing the lyrics "Easy come, easy go. Little high, little low" during the sing-along.

Of course, the PM and other world leaders are in town to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II and attend her funeral, which he did.

But, his weekend festivities kinda overshadowed his visit -- he even got boo'ed from folks who saw him after the video surfaced.

As we've reported, The Queen's funeral was held Monday morning and folks gathered in the UK streets and tuned in from all over the world for her procession and the service ... before Q2E was laid to rest alongside her late husband, Prince Philip.

Get your tissues ready ... because 2 of Queen Elizabeth II's corgis were patiently waiting for their owner to arrive at her final resting place in Windsor Castle.

The royal pups, Muick and Sandy, were being walked Monday at the castle ... ahead of QE2's Committal Service, where she's being laid to rest next to her husband, Prince Philip.

One of the Queen's horses -- Emma -- was also brought out to watch her hearse go by as it arrived ... and it's clear the Internet can't handle the animals in mourning.

As we reported, there's been speculation on who will get the corgis after Her Majesty's passing -- although there have been reports that 2 of her dogs will live with Prince Andrew and Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson.

Queen Elizabeth made her final voyage to her resting place -- and a who's who of global dignitaries are there to see it for themselves.

The procession kicked off very early Monday morning, with the Royal pallbearers carrying QE2's casket from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey ... where the actual service took place.

The route was obviously lined with people ... as they flocked to glimpse Her Majesty The Queen's casket one last time. King Charles and the rest of the immediate Royal family, including Princes William and Harry, were in tow -- similar to the procession when her body was first brought to the Hall.

The service itself was quite emotional -- King Charles was fighting back tears after adding a bouquet on top of his mother's coffin ... with a note that read "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R."

Upwards of 2,000 people were in attendance, including President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau ... among several other European leaders and First Ladies -- including Ukraine's Olena Zelenska.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog was at the funeral, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss was one of the last dignitaries to enter ahead of the service.

Actress Sandra Oh also attended the funeral as part of the Canadian delegation.

Another celebrity that attended the service was Bear Grylls.

Prince Harry and Meghan were seated behind the rest of the royal family -- Harry was not allowed to wear his military uniform at the funeral.

The coffin started heading on a route through much of London after the service was over ... with the ending location at St. George's Chapel within Windsor Castle, where she'll be laid to rest alongside her late husband, Prince Philip.

A private service for the family is expected to take place later Monday evening.

The Queen died 11 days ago, and it's been an extended period of mourning across the pond, with thousands of people coming to pay their respects. There's been vigils held in her honor, by both her children and grandchildren, and some famous faces have stopped by to say goodbye to Her Majesty. Of course, there's been some drama too.

Considering Queen Elizabeth was one of the longest serving monarchs in history -- and was generally beloved by everyone -- the odds of this send-off being grand are pretty good.

Princess Charlotte was seen getting visibly upset during the procession.

QE2 was 96.

A billion people are watching the Queen's funeral on TV and online, and that's an impressive number for sure ... but more than a million people are right there -- in central London -- to catch a glimpse of her coffin and to say farewell.

It was also the most extensive, complicated law enforcement presence in the Country's history. In addition to crowd control, there's an unprecedented number of foreign leaders on hand to pay respects, including President Biden, Prime Minister Trudeau, President Macron, Prime Minister Truss, and on an on.

Some people waited more than 24 hours to get a good view of the procession, which is snaking around London with pageantry we don't see in the U.S.

Some of the mourners got some shuteye in sleeping bags on the street.

Most people in the crowd are silent ... taking in the moment as the Queen is about to be laid to rest. Many were visibly emotional, wiping away tears as they stood solemnly ... watching the casket go by.

As you know, with 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth was the only Queen most folks there have ever known, so there was a connection unlike with other world leaders, who generally serve limited terms.

Fainting seems to be a reoccurring theme as Queen Elizabeth II gets closer and closer to her final resting place ... because a policeman took a hard fall during Her Majesty's funeral procession.

The officer collapsed Monday morning as the procession passed The Mall in London, near Parliament Square. He began to sway while guards were changing positions, before passing out.

2 other officers rushed to his aid, followed by medics -- he was carried away on a stretcher. His condition is currently unknown.

As we reported, one of the Royal guards took a rough fall at Westminster Hall last week ... landing face-first on the ground while standing guard at the foot of the casket.

He wasn't the only one losing consciousness Wednesday -- 41-year-old Lady Gabriella Windsor, the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, collapsed earlier in the service.

Queen Elizabeth's death has triggered a worldwide outpouring of love for the longtime monarch, and you can see from her last semi-candid pic, she was dutiful and happy to the end.

This pic was taken during her last days, before meeting Prime Minister Liz Truss -- her 15th btw.

The pic was taken at Balmoral, reportedly 48 hours before meeting the new P.M.  She was clearly ill, and her aides reportedly suggested that maybe Prince Charles should greet the new Prime Minister, but the Queen wasn't having it. She performed the ceremonial duties herself.

Folks from all around the world have been waiting in lines that are so long it takes 24 hours to reach the casket, but waiting they are.

Prince Harry got to wear his military uniform after all as he and his family continue to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II -- a change that reportedly came from the King himself.

Harry was in a full armed forces getup Saturday, alongside his brother Prince William -- who was also in uniform -- as well as 6 other of QE2's grandchildren, including Princess Anne's kids, Prince Andrew's daughters and Prince Edward's young ones ... who are 18 and 14.

Will was the head of the Queen's coffin, and Harry was at the foot ... with the other grandkids covering the edges. They stood in silence for 15 minutes during a special vigil just for them.

It's interesting Harry's wearing this ... remember, he was in civilian clothes earlier in the week when they were taking his grandmother's casket to lie in state, while Will was in uniform. Now, after a reported change of heart by King Charles, he got to wear military garb as well.

BTW, he ain't the only Royal (who's been on the outs) who got a special pass for this occasion ... Prince Andrew was also granted permission to wear his military uniform during a vigil held among the Queen's children on Friday, again ... reportedly at the King's behest.