Royal Family

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.

King Charles isn't trying to get caught slipping again, after losing it over pen problems a couple times ... the monarch's practicing BYOP going forward, and looks damn proud of himself.

Charles and Queen Consort Camilla had the important duty of signing the visitors' book Friday in Llandaff Cathedral, and while the royal attendees gotta be on edge from the last time he whipped out a pen ... this time, King Charles got the job done with his own utensil.

Pretty hilarious, considering the inky situations he's had all week.

You'll recall, things got really sticky on Tuesday when the King attempted to hand sign a guest book at the royal residence of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland ... and the pen leaked all over his hand.

KC3 threw a tantrum and stormed off muttering "this bloody thing" ... leaving Queen Camilla to sign for him.

That leak came on the heels of another meltdown ... days before he came across a pen box on his desk while trying to sign a proclamation. He was not here for the box being in his way ... and motioned for an aide to quickly take it away. It's good to be the King, as they say.

Well, he's learned his lesson, and we gotta say ... Friday's signing was smooth and calm. No leaking ink, sweat or tears!

Prince William admits the mourning process for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is making him relive the moment he walked in Princess Diana's funeral procession.

The Prince of Wales opened up Wednesday to folks outside Sandringham House ... they'd come to lay flowers there following the Queen's procession to Westminster Abbey, but ended up getting an interaction with William.

He told one woman who'd come to mourn the Queen that it's been difficult for the family to process the loss ... according to the Daily Telegraph. He said the ceremony brought back sad memories of his mother's death and funeral service.

Witnesses at Sandringham reportedly said the Prince's pain seemed evident in his eyes, and they claim he was close to tears.

As we reported, William and his brother, Prince Harry, walked behind their grandmother's coffin during Wednesday's ceremony as the procession went from Buckingham Palace to Westminster ... which is where QEII's will lie in State for a total of 4 days.

Her funeral and burial are set for Monday, Sept. 19.

One of the Royal guards took a rough fall at Westminster Hall ... smacking HARD onto the floor as he stood watch beside Queen Elizabeth II's coffin.

The guard was swaying side to side at the foot of the casket Wednesday before landing face-first on the ground ... the crash echoed through the Hall, with people rushing to his aid.

Royal guards normally rotate around the coffin every 20 minutes, with a full shift lasting 6 hours -- The BBC, which was streaming the ceremony, cut the feed until the incident was resolved.

It's unclear what caused the guard to collapse. No word on his condition either.

The guard wasn't the only one losing consciousness at Westminster Hall ... 41-year-old Lady Gabriella Windsor, the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, collapsed earlier in the service.

Lady Gabriella was in the receiving line with other members of the Royals when several people began to look concerned ... including her mother, Princess Michael of Kent.

Her husband, Thomas Kingston, rushed to her aid. She reportedly regained consciousness but left the event.

Prince William and Harry walked behind their grandmother's casket during a ceremony steeped in pageantry as the procession went from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where her body will lie in State for 4 days.

The 2 Princes walked side-by-side ... William in military garb, Harry in civvies.

Prince Andrew was also in the procession, and he too was in civilian clothes, and not by choice. Queen Elizabeth stripped Andrew of his Royal duties and many perks after his ties to Jeffrey Epstein surfaced.

The Queen's crown is resting atop the coffin. BTW ... only 3 people are allowed to touch the crown ... the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Crown Jeweler.

It's impossible to ignore what happened 25 years ago, when a young Harry and William walked side-by-side during the funeral of their mom, Princess Diana.

King Charles is obviously front and center as well, as everyone walked in lockstep to the Houses of Parliament, where the casket will be placed. Princess Anne is also right there ... she will assume an even larger role in the family.

The spouses of the Princes and the King are in cars ... following along per tradition. Queen Consort Camilla and Kate Middleton were in the same car. Meghan Markle was in another car with Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.

The procession arrived at Westminster Hall. William, Kate, Harry and Meghan are standing near each other while the ceremony carries on inside.