Royal Family

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle look like they teamed up with Kay Jewelers to shoot a commercial ... at least at first glance, but the actors are just dead ringers for the Sussexes.

The TV advertisement has been causing a stir online, with lots of folks saying they thought the man and woman hawking a necklace in the commercial were actually Harry and Meghan ... but it's not them.

The Duke and Duchess doppelgängers nuzzle up against each other before the man places a diamond necklace around her neck and then they share a kiss ... that's Kay's thing, of course.

But, the camera angles, editing and lighting certainly try to make the actors look like the real deal.

Kudos to the production crew, because it's no wonder so many people are doing double takes -- and the timing of Kay's move is no coincidence.

As you know, there's a new six-hour "Harry & Meghan" Netflix docuseries that's super popular right now ... plus, Harry's memoir drops next month.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly want a sit-down with the Royal Family to air out unsettled grievances, in hopes of an apology -- this after not feeling satisfied post-Netflix.

According to The Sunday Times, a source close to the Sussexes says Harry and Meg would very much like a meeting with senior members of the monarchy -- presumably, King Charles, and Prince William -- to tackle issues they just laid out in their series, "Harry & Meghan."

The reason they wanna hash it out once and for all ... this source, cited by The Times, claims they feel short-changed in the accountability department. Namely, they assert the Royals never addressed their problems head-on, nor did they ever own up to anything.

In light of Buckingham Palace moving mountains to make things right with Ngozi Fulani -- who was recently at the center of a race-related scandal at the hands of a high-ranking Royal official -- this source says H and M feel they're owed the same type of courtesy.

There's also the issue of Charles' coronation in May, which The Times says Harry and Meghan are expected to attend -- although, it's unclear by whom. They cite a senior Royal source who says, "If they want to get in touch with the King, they know where he lives."

Apparently, Harry and Megan would like to reach some sort of reconciliation before then ... but it's sounding like an icy one-way street and the feeling isn't mutual. Not only is Charles reportedly taking an aloof approach to the whole thing, but The Times also claims they've been told Will has no plans to speak to his brother for the time being.

The vow of silence is also one that the Royal institution as a whole is planning to maintain now that the Netflix series is over. Despite claims that palace aides and/or staff might've gone out of their way to plant stories about Meghan -- not to mention allegations of racism aimed at their son, Archie -- it seems the Royals are staying out of the mud on this one.

None of the Royals have responded to anything discussed in the special ... they've simply been carrying on with their duties heading into the holidays. If this report is to be believed about Harry and Meghan's wishes, things might come to a head sooner than later.

Elizabeth Hurley is denying an apparent rumor that she took Prince Harry's virginity way back when -- something that's supposed to be alluded to in his forthcoming book.

The actress addressed what The Times claims is a juicy piece of gossip floating around in the U.K. -- namely, that Harry shagged Hurley as a teenager ... marking his first time. In an interview with the outlet, EH flatly debunks any notion of this being true.

She's quoted as saying, "“Not me. Not guilty. Ha!” The author writes, "Something about that 'ha!' gives me pause," seemingly following up on it with her ... and Hurley responds with, "No. Not me. Absolutely not."

The Times notes that Hurley used to have a farmhouse in Gloucestershire -- northwest of London, and a bit south of Birmingham -- and that, in previous interviews, she'd made mention of how much fun it was to bang on a rug by the fireplace of her home.

They connect that with yet another rumor ... that Harry's set to reveal he first had sex with a beautiful older woman in the "countryside" as a teen -- something he'll supposedly reveal in "Spare" -- but apparently doesn't name names, or disclose other deets that'd pin this down.

As for how that ties to Liz, The Times simply states -- "There's a rumor it was Hurley," but it's unclear where the hell they're even getting that. In any case, it's in the rumor mill now.

We did some math and it sorta helps paint a clearer picture of when this alleged hookup could've possibly occurred. Harry would've been a "teen" between 1997 and 2003 (13 and 19, respectively) and that overlaps up with when Hurley owned this crib ... 2002 to 2015.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just dropped some major bombshells, revealing they've been subject to online death threats, nasty infighting with the Royal Family and who they believe was behind their much-publicized miscarriage.

The controversial couple released Volume 2 of their popular Netflix series ... and during the 5th episode Meghan kicked things off by talking about her nightmarish online experiences. She pointed to one horrific message she received ... "Meghan just needs to die. Someone needs to kill her. Maybe it should be me."

In the clip, Meghan responds ... "And I was just like, 'OK.' That's what's actually out in the world because of people creating hate."

The Duchess of Sussex then starts to cry, saying ... "I'm a mom. That's my real life. And that's the piece when you see it and you go, 'You are making people want to kill me. You are making me scared.'"

Meghan adds that she couldn't sleep due to the stress and was frantically looking around the house, worried about the safety of baby Archie and whether the doors were locked in their house.

Turning to Prince Harry ... he discussed a tense meeting he had with the Royal Family over him asking for a "half in, half out" arrangement. Harry made it clear to them that he and Megan no longer wanted full-time palace jobs, but they still wanted to work in support of the Queen. Harry said the Royals quickly dismissed the idea, leading to a HUGE confrontation between him and his brother, Prince William.

"It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that just simply weren't true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and take it all in," Harry said, referencing his father and then-Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II.

In the Netflix episode, Harry also blamed Meghan's 2020 miscarriage on the tabloid media, specifically citing the Daily Mail. The couple took legal action against the outlet for publishing a 2019 private letter from Meghan to her dad, Thomas Markle.

"Now, do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was caused, created by that?" Harry said. "Of course we don't, but bearing in mind the stress that that caused, the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was caused by what they were trying to do to her."

King Charles is spreading Christmas cheer for the first time as the UK monarch ... but it comes at the exact moment Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are taking some fresh shots at the royal family.

KC3'S festive, but simple card features a pic of himself and Queen Consort Camilla, wishing recipients "A very Happy Christmas and New Year."

The photo of the King and his wife was taken in Scotland ... just 5 days before Queen Elizabeth II died.

Far less holiday cheerful is the new trailer Charles' youngest son dropped to hype volume 2 of "Harry & Meghan" on Netflix ... which feature's the couple diggin' even deeper into Harry's bloodline.

Looks like they're focusing on the Duke and Duchess fleeing the UK for America ... and they're calling out the royals for "institutional gaslighting." As Harry puts it, "They were happy to lie to protect my brother, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are alleged to have filmed interviews for their Netflix doc at a home other than their own -- which, if true, we gotta say ... welcome to showbiz. 🤷🏽‍♂️

British outlets have asserted the couple actually filmed at a separate property when they did their sit-downs on camera -- claiming they shot at another mega-mansion in Montecito that's just up the road from them, and a bit more expensive than their own pad.

The house in question is 13,599 sq. feet, features 6 bedrooms and has all the bells and whistles of a luxury home there -- pool, spa, private gym, etc. From a bird's eye view, yeah ... it's pretty nice. It's also for sale at $33 mil -- they bought their place for around $15 mil.

The reason that's relevant ... it would appear this story being surfaced in the first place was meant to make the Sussexes look like they wanted to flash a more grand home than the one they currently own. That's the implication we're picking up on -- namely, that they wanted to deceive people into thinking they live nicer than they actually do. But, frankly ... that's BS.

Here's the reality ... productions such as these are often shot at a different location, because it isn't important -- it's literally just background scenery that's secondary to the subjects. It's SOP to do this, and if Meg and Harry did, in fact, do so here ... it's not a big deal at all.

It's also quite possible that maybe Meg and Harry wanted to protect their privacy, which we know they value. And if that's the case, totally reasonable as well to film elsewhere.

Another element here that backs the case they weren't out for clout ... their home is actually bigger (and arguably nicer) than the mansion they allegedly shot at. Just take a look at this aerial shot of where they currently live, and you can even take a peek inside if you want.

The grounds seem more expansive than the home above, and the specs are at a larger scale too ... their property is over 18,000 sq. ft. and has more bedrooms ... plus, more toys. Yes, it was purchased at a lower price than what the other mansion is going for now -- but who's to say they won't list this crib at around the same (assuming they're still moving, that is).

The point is this ... Harry and Meg (allegedly) using another home to film at is just about the biggest nothing burger to hit the grill in this saga. But the fact UK outlets are running with it anyway as a gotcha moment sorta speaks to what they've laid out in the series so far.

Meghan Markle has someone in her corner besides Prince Harry -- Maren Morris says the wave of hatred for the Duchess makes no sense, especially considering the royal family's recent history.

The singer admits she hasn't seen the "Harry & Meghan" documentary on Netflix yet, but says she has seen "This profound hatred and annoyance at Meghan Markle, specifically, mostly coming from women" ... and she doesn't get it.

Maren unloaded on TikTok, saying ... "People are saying a woman should never take a man away from his family, that’s all that this is. Um, have you seen his family?”

While the new doc has, so far, been light on direct attacks of specific family members, the Sussexes are extremely critical of the royals, as an institution -- blasting it for, at best, unconscious bias ... or, at worst, planting intentional racist attacks against Meghan in the media.

Maren seems to understand exactly why Meghan and Harry dropped their senior royal status and fled to the United States. She pointed out the mistreatment, in her eyes, of King Edward VIII, Queen Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret ... and don't get her started on Princess Diana.

Maren says Harry's mother "didn’t leave her children but she left the family.”

Her point here is ... royals have had beef with the family, and some have even left too -- so, why's everyone so bent over Harry and Meghan leaving?

Her theory is, "We are only living in this time of everything being so front-facing and people getting Netflix documentaries, what have you. This all feels very pointed at one woman as it mostly always has in history."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry beat "the media's out to get us" drum repeatedly in their new Netflix docuseries, but a royal expert says that's kinda rich ... considering how much they need media coverage.

Kinsey Schofield tells TMZ ... Harry and Meghan's claims about the aggressive press surrounding their life came as a shock to her, and sees a clear contrast between them and Princess Diana.

Kinsey sees the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as entertainers, more than members of the royal family at this point ... and thinks all they're doing is trying to deflect hate and get the public on their side.

While Kinsey doesn't think it's working, the jury's still out -- because after volume 1 of "Harry & Meghan" dropped this week, many viewers see the couple's version of their story as pretty charming.

As you know, a big point in the series is about the media's negative takes on the couple ... with Meghan saying, "No matter what I did they were still going to find a way to destroy me."

BBC's Nicholas Witchell called that claim "absurd," despite the countless racist and slanted British tabloid headlines shown in the docuseries.

Kinsey really takes Meghan to task, though, over one controversial moment from the doc -- Meghan's reenactment of her curtsy to Queen Elizabeth.

She saw it as disrespectful, in light of the Queen's death in September, and a scene that should've been left on the cutting room floor.

To invite or disinvite -- that's the question facing King Charles as it pertains to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attending his coronation next year ... and there's a lot of opinions.

Now that the couple's Netflix doc is out (at least in part), many have wondered what'll become of the King's big ceremony next Spring -- namely, are the Duke and Duchess going to be asked to come, or on the flip side ... explicitly told they're not welcome?

Several so-called Royal experts have weighed in over the past few days -- and the consensus seems to be ... it depends on what else comes out in their series.

So far, there hasn't really been any real bombshell accusations hurled toward the Royal family that we weren't already aware of. In the first three episodes of 'Harry & Meghan,' the couple has mostly recounted how they met and navigating the U.K. press/Royal life early on.

While the first official trailer seemed to promise some harsh criticism of the senior members -- including Prince William and Charles -- the doc's been relatively mild of late. The second half, which is set to air on Dec. 15, is sure to include more incendiary content ... that is, after they cover Meghan and Harry's first wedding dance, which Netflix teased with a new clip.

Now, if Harry and Meghan go into further detail about their racism allegations relating to their son, Archie, it could easily blow up their chances at being invited to the coronation in May ... which, as of now, is actually scheduled on the kid's 4th birthday to the date.

Unclear whether that was intentional or not, but it certainly seems fishy. At any rate, neither party has officially commented on any plans for Harry and Meg to attend or not ... but some insiders have claimed that Charles' wife, Camilla, has expressed wanting them there.

Thomas Markle is steering clear of his daughter's docuseries, "Harry & Meghan" ... according to Meghan's half sister, who says their father's more focused on his health than the project she calls "disrespectful."

Samantha Markle tells TMZ ... she's protecting her dad by telling him not to watch the new doc, saying Meghan's kicked Thomas while he was down in the past, and a series like this just further disrespects their fam.

Samantha says Thomas doesn't know what's in the series, and doesn't need to find out.

She doesn't think he'd even want to watch, because the royal family ordeal has been damaging to his health for a while. Most importantly, he's still recovering from the stroke he suffered earlier this year.

If you haven't seen it, the Netflix series is essentially the Duke and Duchess' side of everything they've been through -- from their first date to leaving the royal family to dealing with racist British headlines.

It also includes their viewpoint of the drama with Thomas leading up to their wedding, which he famously did not attend. Harry even says how "incredibly sad" it is for his wife to have lost her dad.

Some UK reporters are firing back at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ... specifically about them claiming their royal engagement interview was rehearsed, and the media was out to destroy her.

BBC Radio 4 presenter Mishal Husain, who sat down with the couple in 2017 for their official engagement interview, responded to the staged claims with a bit of shade, saying ... "Recollections may vary."

Husain further explained she was "asked to do an interview and do said interview."

In their Netflix documentary, Meghan says the whole day -- including a photo session and the interview -- was like an "orchestrated reality show."

Lord Hall, the director general of BBC at the time of the couple's engagement, responded to the documentary noise, too ... saying Meghan's beliefs are "simply untrue."

BBC's Nicholas Witchell also shot down Meghan's most biting claim about the media: "No matter what I did they were still going to find a way to destroy me."

He says while part of her anger was pointed toward the royal fam, he believes some was aimed at the media, too. Witchell calls it an "absurd" claim, though ... adding it "simply does not stand up to proper and reasonable scrutiny."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell Netflix documentary isn't just a shot at the royal family over racism -- it also reveals her perspective, as she says, people didn't treat me like a 'Black woman' before moving to England.

In episode 2 of "Harry & Meghan" ... she says she never thought race would play such a big part in her marriage with Harry -- because growing up in L.A. as a mixed-race woman, being different had not been an issue for her.

Meghan says, "Now people are very aware of my race because they made it such an issue in the UK."

She added that before that, "most people didn't treat me like a Black woman," and as a result, she and her parents never had "the talk" about racism in America ... as most Black parents do.

The couple also got candid about their engagement in November 2017 ... saying the proposal was anything but natural, with Meghan laughing about the "orchestrated reality show."

On a much more serious note, Harry addresses his infamous costume -- he dressed up as a Nazi for a 2005 party -- and calls it the "biggest mistake in my life.”

He details the steps he took to learn from that moment, but admits there was a chance he could've mistakenly ignored all the criticism.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are only days away from dropping what promises to be an explosive documentary about their time inside the royal family, but still made time to accept an honor for their efforts battling racism.

The pair was all smiles as they pulled up to the Ripple of Hope Gala in NYC Tuesday. During the event, put on by the Robert. F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, Harry and Meghan received the 'anti-racism' award. 

The gala highlights leaders who have shown a commitment to social change. According to the official site, "This year's laureates [honorees] have prioritized equity, inclusivity, and sustainability in the workplace and the world."

Past recipients include ... Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton to name a few.

The honor comes just one day after Netflix dropped the trailer for “Harry & Meghan." In the preview, Harry calls out the "hierarchy of the family," alleging they leaked stories about his life with Meghan to support the family's "war against Meghan."

Remember, Meghan and Harry first came for the royal family during an interview with Oprah ... accusing unnamed members of the family of racism.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to be in strictly business mode ahead of their controversial Netflix doc's premiere -- a project that has a former friend of the family saying they should lose any trace of royalty they have left.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in NYC Monday, where they stepped off their private jet shoulder-to-shoulder and met with a group of friends on the tarmac before they were on to their next destination.

The trip comes directly on the heels of the latest trailer for "Harry & Meghan" -- in which they appear to take a scorched-earth approach toward his family while describing their experience trying to bring MM into the royal fold.

Harry's got a pretty serious face on here, as does Meghan -- who's wearing shades, but flashing the slightest of smirks too. No doubt, they've heard the waves of criticism for the documentary ... particularly across the pond, as they say.

Princess Diana's ex-butler, Paul Burrell, turned on his late boss's son publicly Monday night as he told Piers Morgan ... Harry and Meghan should be stripped of their remaining Royal titles.

Speaking out on the UK's Talk TV, he said Diana would be horrified by Harry's approach to disconnecting himself from the monarchy -- even if she could, in principle, support his move to America.

Burrell claims she would not have approved of what he describes as a route laced with "commercialism."

Burrell says the Duke and Duchess crossed a line, just from what he's seen in the trailer ... and he believes the actual series will be even worse.

He says King Charles should take a stand and turn them into true Average Joes.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming documentary lays out new allegations about his family's attacks on her -- but at least one expert isn't buying their claims of racism, because she says King Charles III has lots of "Black friends."

Angela Levin authored "Harry: A Biography of a Prince" back in 2018, and joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to break down the new trailer for "Harry & Meghan." Her take is it's total BS from the Sussexes.

She finds it suspect that the couple keeps playing the racism card without pointing the finger at anyone specific in the royal family ... and, without hard evidence. So, as far as she's concerned, it's a lie.

As we've reported, Netflix released a new trailer for the doc ... where Harry calls out the "hierarchy of the family," alleging they leaked stories about Meghan and him to support the family's "war against Meghan."

You'll recall, Meghan and Harry first raised the racism claim during the Oprah interview ... accusing unnamed members of the royal family of racism. Angela, for one, is convinced it's not Harry's father.

She told us King Charles has "loads of Black and Chinese friends." No joke, that's exactly how she said it.

The author didn't try to hide her distaste for Meghan, either -- flat out blaming the Duchess for bringing out the worst in Harry.

A new trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's documentary has dropped, and it's clear the couple isn't holding back in taking some serious shots at the royal family.

Netflix released the new preview for "Harry & Meghan" Monday morning, showing more of the drama that'll be unveiled starting this week ... and Harry's calling out the "hierarchy of the family" -- claiming people inside his camp were leaking stories about him and Meghan.

Meghan claims everything changed after she married into the fam ... with one person talking about "a war against Meghan" -- while another claiming the drama was all rooted in hatred and racism.

Harry even talks about not wanting "history to repeat itself," while flashes of paparazzi swarm their car -- before showing shots of Princess Diana dealing with the same thing.

As we reported, Harry and Meghan -- who now live in the U.S. -- were stripped of their private security during visits to the U.K. back in July ... Harry claimed it wasn't safe for him, Meghan or their 2 kids because it's just too dangerous without security help.

Harry ends the trailer, saying no one knows the "full truth" except for them ... and we're only days away from finding out what that is.