Royal Family

Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations seem to be a real family affair, with a bonus ... Her Majesty was finally introduced to her great-granddaughter, Lilibet.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle presented the Queen her namesake during a private lunch. Other royals were present. We don't know if Harry's brother, William was at the lunch, nor do we know if his dad, Charles, was present.

There are reports William and Kate will NOT be present Saturday for Lilibet's first birthday party. As you know, there's bad blood between Harry, his dad and his brother for various reasons, not the least of which Harry and Meghan have insinuated one of them made racist comments about Archie.

There are clear, visual signs of a rift between William and Harry. Check out this photo at the National Service of Thanksgiving, taken Friday. They are sitting on complete opposite sides of the church.

Meghan and Harry took a backseat during the traditional balcony wave ... the Palace made it clear ... balcony presence was for "working senior royals."

Harry, Meghan and the kids are getting the security they demanded ... they're being protected by armed police.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's visit with the royal family during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee got off to a "frosty" and uncomfortable start ... according to Piers Morgan.

The host of the UK's new TalkTV reports Harry and Meghan showed up late to the event, kicking off some of the discomfort. He also says the couple was nowhere to be found as the day went on, while the rest of the family took a trip out to the garden to spend time together.

Piers believes the Queen herself is the only one who can help ease the tension -- but since it sounds like she won't be present for today's festivities at St. Paul's Cathedral, the expectation is things will continue to be pretty icy in the royal fam.

Piers, of course, isn't the biggest fan of Meghan, who allegedly got him kicked off of "Good Morning Britain" ... in the wake of the Oprah interview.

Co-host Alex Beresford called him out to his face about constantly bashing Meghan, forcing Piers to take a walk.

Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee -- honoring her 70 years on the throne -- is officially underway with the royal family, and that includes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ... although they're not exactly in the Queen's spotlight.

The 4-day celebration kicked off with a military parade in front of Buckingham Palace. The display is called "Trooping the Colour" -- it formally honors the Queen's birthday -- and QE2 was out on her balcony taking in all the action.

All the buzz about the Jubilee is who's making the traditional balcony appearance with her: Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton and their 3 children.

Y'know ... all the "working" Senior Royals.

Most notably, Harry and Meghan are NOT there on the balcony -- and nor is Prince Andrew, who recently settled his Jeffrey Epstein-related case.

However, Harry and Meghan are in the Palace for their first public royal event as a couple since 2020 ... they're just positioned in a different room to watch the parade.

They're watching from the Major General Office ... along with several of the Queen's other grand and great-grandchildren -- such as Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been reassured their family will be well protected when they touch down in Britain today, a day ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Weekend ... this coming after Harry threatened legal action to keep his kids safe.

The Met's Royalty and Specialist Protection unit has been working with Harry's crew to get him taxpayer-funded officers over the past weeks ... the family will get armed police protection while at royal events or at Frogmore Cottage where they'll be staying.

The protection won't be around, however, for smaller social events -- like hanging with friends or hitting up a pub.

As we reported, Harry's legal team appeared in court in February during a hearing to reinstate his family's protection ... when they removed themselves from the royal family, they lost their public-funded protection in the U.K., having to pay for their own security while in America.

Meghan Markle's caused her father a ton of stress over the years and now it's taking a toll on his health ... at least that's how Thomas Markle's other daughter sees things.

Meghan's half-sister, Samantha Markle, tells TMZ ... their dad is in the hospital recovering from a stroke, and she thinks his health is failing due to the tremendous amount of stress in his life from Meghan.

Samantha seems to be drawing a direct link between Thomas' stroke and Meghan ... she thinks it's a byproduct of Meghan's refusal to have a relationship with her pops.

As we reported ... Thomas was rushed to a hospital Monday night, being reduced to writing his symptoms down on a piece of paper because he couldn't use his voice.

Samantha says TM is having mobility issues on his left side, is unable to move the muscles in his face, can barely use his left hand and is learning to speak again with the help of a physical therapist.

It's the latest health problem for Thomas, who has said he suffered 2 heart attacks right before Meghan's 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.

Those heart attacks happened while Thomas was in a tense standoff with Meghan and the Royals over allegedly staged pics in the media of him getting ready for the nuptials ... with some folks accusing Thomas of faking a medical emergency for sympathy. Thomas ended up missing the wedding.

Samantha believes Thomas' heart attacks are also related to stress from Meghan ... and she says he would not be in the hospital now if Meghan was a loving daughter.

Thomas is going to be 78 in July, and Samantha says there will be a long recovery from his stroke ... and she's hoping Meghan wakes up to the possibility her father won't be alive for long and will make a change.

Samantha isn't holding her breath ... she says life's short and thinks if Meghan hasn't regretted the non-existent relationship with their dad by now, MM probably never will.

And, get this ... Samantha says Meghan "better stay the f*** away from a funeral and not use it as a photo opportunity" if Thomas dies soon.

Meghan Markle is expressing her grief over the tragic elementary school shooting ... by making a surprise visit to the memorial in Texas honoring the slain teachers and students.

Meghan made the long trip from Montecito, CA to Uvalde, TX to pay her respects to those killed in Tuesday's horrific shooting ... leaving a bouquet of white roses at a makeshift memorial.

The shooting, which claimed the lives of 19 innocent children and 2 teachers, happened at Robb Elementary School ... and the memorial Meghan visited is outside the nearby Uvalde County Courthouse.

Meghan walked around the memorial, which borders a square pond and features the names of the dead on white crosses with blue hearts.

The Duchess of Sussex wore jeans, a white shirt and a faded navy baseball cap ... but didn't exactly keep a super low profile.

As far as we know, Meghan has no direct connection to Robb Elementary or the small town of Uvalde, which is about 80 miles west of San Antonio.

Meghan Markle's father might have suffered a stroke Monday night ... as he was rushed to a hospital by ambulance.

Paramedics loaded Thomas Markle into the ambulance in Tijuana, strapped an oxygen mask to his face and transported him around 9:30 PM to a hospital across the border in Chula Vista, CA.

Markle was admitted after fearing he was suffering a stroke. Thomas couldn't actually speak to paramedics, and had to write down his symptoms on a piece of paper.

You'll recall, Meghan's dad said he suffered 2 heart attacks right before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.

That happened just as he was in a tense standoff with his daughter and the Royals because he'd staged pics of himself getting ready for the wedding -- and some people accused him of faking the medical crisis for sympathy. He never ended up going to the wedding, after all.

It's unclear what Thomas' condition is right now, but one of his close friends says he remains hospitalized.

Markle had recently said he would be attending Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee celebrations in June. Looks like he might have to cancel yet another UK trip.

Visitors to Windsor Castle were either really excited or disappointed as hell to see a couple Harry and Meghan look-alikes walking outside the grounds, complete with a camera crew in tow.

Take a look at the actually somewhat convincing duo out on Sunday, fake Meghan in a white pantsuit and fake Harry in royal garb. The two stopped to take photos with castle visitors, and according to reports, actually were able to convince some they were the real deal.

Of course, anyone with some knowledge of Harry and Meghan's leaving the Royal Family would know it doesn't make sense to have them there.

The phonies didn't just stop at the castle ... they also hit a local pub for lunch, grabbing drinks and snapping selfies.

The best part? Fake Harry and Meghan also thought to have their own camera crew following them around ... maybe to try and be just that much more convincing.

Queen Elizabeth II may not show for every public event these days, but made sure to come out for this one to celebrate 70 years on the throne ... as did Tom Cruise and Helen Mirren.

HMTQ was on hand in person Saturday for a Windsor get-together called A Gallop Through History -- which is essentially a giant horse and pony show meant to reenact Liz's ascension to the throne ... via onstage performances and feats featuring animals.

That's where TC and the Dame herself come in -- they were tapped to help do the theater part of this whole thing, and Tom made a splash when he touched down for grand entrance earlier in the day.

Unclear what role exactly he's playing in the play, but Helen was assigned Queen Elizabeth I ... and apparently killed her performance, with a rousing speech that stirred the crowd.

Anyway, QE2 seemed pretty thrilled by all the pomp and circumstance ... she was cheesing from her seat watching all the activity down below. The Queen looks great, which is encouraging to see considering her health of late has been a bit touch-and-go.

Like we said, this is one of the bigger events that have been held for her Platinum Jubilee -- which has been going on since February and ends in June. So, yeah ... she's a trooper.

Liz is 96, and while she might not be as out and about as she once was ... it's clear she'll go the extra mile for a special occasion such as this.

Bill Maher had one of his best guests EVER on "Real Time" Friday night ... Rod Stewart, and the timing of the sit-down is crazy.

Rod kicked off his world tour Friday night, performing at Caesars Palace in Vegas, but there he was on Bill's L.A. set just hours before his performance.

Rod is one of the coolest cats in the music biz, and that was on full display with BM. He talked about not ever wanting to be late for his concerts ... unusual for rock stars.

He also said he and the Queen have something in common, and gotta say, he's not wrong.

A couple of surprising things ... did you know Rod wrote "Maggie May," "Tonight's The Night," "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" "Hot Legs," and "You Wear It Well."

Also, his Vegas concert runs for 1 and a half hours, and Rod normally goes over 2 hours but that's Caesar's rule. And, Bill mentioned something that was shocking ... when The Beatles performed, it lasted only 25 minutes.

Queen Elizabeth started her week with some serious mobility issues -- which prevented her from attending a Royal function -- but ended it surrounded by some of her favorite 4-legged friends.

QE2 had the best seat in the house at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in England Friday ... sporting a scarf on her head and a massive smile on her face.

The appearance has to be a sign of relief for many, considering Her Royal Highness announced she'd miss the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday because of "episodic mobility problems."

It was the first time in 59 years the Queen didn't attend the opening, instead, Prince Charles took on the duties.

As we reported, the 96-year-old battled COVID back in February and said in April the virus had left her feeling "very tired."

Prince William may have just extended an olive branch to Prince Harry and Meghan, but the Queen has just done the opposite ... snubbing her grandson, his wife and one of her sons.

The Palace just released a statement ... "After careful consideration, the Queen has decided this year's traditional trooping the colour balcony appearance on Thursday, 2 June, will be limited to Her Majesty, and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen."

The statement goes on to list those royals who are permitted to watch the festivities from the balcony ... Prince Charles and Camilla, William, Kate and their kids, and a few dukes and duchesses.

Notably missing, Prince Harry, Meghan, their kids, and Prince Andrew, who just settled a Jeffrey Epstein-related case.

The snub is loud ... remember, Harry visited his grandma last month and it seems any ice that existed between them had thawed.

What's especially interesting ... the Palace made an exception for Princess Ann's husband because of a new rule that only working family members can sit on the balcony, the exception could also have applied to Harry, but the Palace didn't bite.

A simple birthday wish has royal implications, because Prince William has reached out across the pond to wish the son of his estranged brother a happy birthday.

Meghan and Harry's son, Archie, turns 3 Friday, and William and Kate marked the occasion with a photo of the royal fam -- which includes Archie -- with the caption, "Wishing Archie a very happy 3rd Birthday today."

It's hugely significant ... as we reported, Harry flew back to England last month and met with the Queen and Charles, but not William. The 2 have been estranged for several years now, and the Oprah interview seemed to cement their estrangement.

Archie's 7th in line to the thrown. He hasn't been in the U.K. since Fall, 2019, when Meghan and Harry took him to Canada and shortly thereafter settled in Montecito, near Santa Barbara.

Harry said recently he considers Montecito his home, not England.

Prince Harry might be far across the pond, but he's still a Brit -- just look at him galloping with a stick in hand as he tries to whack a ball ... all the way over here in sunny California!

The Duke of Sussex got his polo on Friday during a match at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquets Club, where we're told he played on a team called Los Padres (the green jerseys, it seems) alongside a pal of his ... and apparently this happened last minute.

In any case, Hare clearly needed to stretch it out before getting on the horse to ride -- and he did exactly that ... with some mid-level squats, and extra effort to work out his glutes.

Of course ... his wife, Meghan Markle, was also there to watch her prince do his thing -- and once Harry was on the field ... it appears he saw some serious action. The dude's been playing a long time, BTW, dating back to his youth ... so the sport comes naturally.

This has gotta make him feel right at home ... which is nice, since he's sorta keeping London at arm's length at the moment -- this following his brief visit recently to see meemaw.

He told Hoda Kotb not too long ago that he misses his family ... but dodged the follow-up when his brother and father were specifically brought up -- alluding to the ongoing rift.

Thomas Markle frets he could be the only one in his family to attend the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration in June ... and he has a theory ... calling Prince Harry an "idiot" for being controlled by his daughter.

Thomas told Dan Wootton on GB News Tuesday he'll be making the trek to London in June...  while he'd like to reconnect with his daughter Meghan and meet Harry and their children for the first time, he's convinced they won't be making the trip -- especially after they learn he'll be front and center.

As you know, 77-year-old Thomas didn't go to Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 as he was recovering from heart surgery ... while their relationship has been strained since, he's hoping he'll get the chance to mend the rift with the Royals.

He says, "I'm going to show my respect for the Queen and I'm going to make sure that the Queen understands that my entire family respects the Queen and the Royals."

He also wants to thank Prince Charles for walking his daughter down the aisle when he wasn't able to. He sees some similarities between him and Charles -- both have been ghosted by their kids.

Thomas goes on to say he has very little respect for Prince Harry, calling him an idiot that follows his daughter around like a little kid.

Former President Donald Trump once claimed the Prince was whipped by Thomas' daughter ... he admits that's one of the only times he'll agree with Trump.

Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating another trip around the sun ... taking a spin around town for her 96th birthday!!!

THE Queen was spotted riding p-side to visit her horses ...  she's hanging at her Sandringham estate -- where her birthday celebration rolls on.

Btw, her late husband, Prince Philip, loved Sandringham estate and the Queen as well ... she loves her ponies ... posing majestically with two of them recently -- then again, every pose is majestic by definition, right?

Prince William and Kate Middleton called her an inspiration ... just before they were seen visiting Disasters Emergency Committee HQ in London.

Speaking of Prince William and Kate, they seemed unphased by Prince Harry's explosive interview ... just hours before.

Harry sat down with Hoda Kotb on 'Today' and when Hoda asked about reuniting with his brother William and his dad Charles, the Prince deflected and never answered. It's clearly a sign of a continuing rift if not a total break in the relationships.