Royal Family

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry might think they got hitched before their elaborate public wedding date -- but on paper, they're down as saying "I do" on the day the world watched 'em on TV.

The Duke and Duchess' official marriage certificate was obtained by The Sun, which lists their nuptials as having taken place on May 19, 2018 -- the day of the big wedding at Windsor Castle. There's no mention of anything formal happening anytime prior, as Meghan suggested.

The doc reportedly lists Prince Charles and Meg's mom, Doria, as the 2 witnesses present. It also has Harry's occupation down as Prince of the United Kingdom and "single" as far as marital status -- as for Meghan, it's reported she's marked as a "divorced" actor.

Remember, Meghan told Oprah during the big interview that they'd actually walked down the aisle 3 days before the formal ceremony -- even going so far as to say they'd exchanged vows in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury in their backyard. The archbishop hasn't commented.

While it's certainly possible they did exchange vows -- probably in a rehearsal -- it doesn't look like anyone in the UK recognizes that private event as anything other than a sweet gesture. According to the law of the land, they were married on the day the world has come to recognize it.

Of course, there were already clues Meghan's claim was a bit of a stretch. As we reported ... the Church of England's own rules contradict what Meghan had said -- their doctrine states the couple must do the deed (their vows) in a place of worship (unless otherwise accounted for with a special license) and in the presence of 2 witnesses.

So, unless Harry and Meghan are holding onto some other marriage certificate ... it doesn't seem like they got married the way she remembers it.

Prince Harry has words for kids who lost a parent during the coronavirus pandemic, and he knows from where he speaks ... and it's emotional.

Harry penned the forward to a book -- "Hospital by the Hill" -- aimed at grieving children, and his words of empathy ring loud. As you know, Harry's mom, Princess Diana, was killed in 1997 when he was 12 years old. His mission -- showing the kids they're not alone in their struggle.

Harry wrote ... "When I was a young boy I lost my mum. At the time I didn't want to believe it or accept it, and it left a huge hole inside of me. I know how you feel, and I want to assure you that over time that hole will be filled with so much love and support. We all cope with loss in a different way, but when a parent goes to heaven, I was told their spirit, their love and the memories of them do not. They are always with you and you can hold onto them forever. I find this to be true."

He adds, "Now, I never met them, but I know this person was special to you, and they were someone incredibly kind, caring and loving because of where they chose to work. Helping others is one of the most important jobs anyone can ever do.

He goes on ... "You may feel alone, you may feel sad, you may feel angry, you may feel bad. This feeling will pass. And I will make a promise to you – you will feel better and stronger once you are ready to talk about how it makes you feel."

Sharon Osbourne and her family -- including her dogs -- have been receiving death threats since her dust-up on "The Talk" ... so she's hired her own security.

Sources close to Sharon tell TMZ ... following last week's on-air dispute with co-host Sheryl Underwood over defending Piers Morgan and his harsh comments about Meghan Markle, Sharon's been bombarded by angry folks on social media and she's received several calls to her home threatening her safety.

Sharon's social media has been flooded with comments like, "Die and go to hell." "F**k Sharon Osbourne, her husband, her momma, them ugly f**kin' kids, the family dog and the b***h that lives next door. She can go die in a fish grease fire" and "I hope Sharon Osbourne gets hit by one last wave of COVID & dies."

We're told Sharon's personal phone numbers have also been blowing up, wishing harm on her and her dogs.

The private security company's been stationed outside the Osbournes' L.A.-area home all week to keep an eye on things.

Meanwhile, Sharon's turned off comments on her most recent couple of Instagram posts because they were so nasty.

As for the issues over at "The Talk" -- which went on hiatus following Sharon and Sheryl's contentious exchange -- we're told Sharon's still reeling from it ... but she's hopeful there can be a reconciliation at some point and she can return to a peaceful environment.

As we reported ... Sharon fired off an apology for offending or disappointing people of color with her words, but explained she "panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive & allowed my fear & horror of being accused of being racist take over."

Our sources say Sharon and Sheryl have not spoken since last week, and Osbourne has also not had any contact with CBS or 'Talk' honchos while they are conducting their investigation.

Prince William and Prince Harry's attempts to mend fences after the Oprah interview have hit a roadblock -- William wants their future conversations to remain private.

The elder Royal bro is reportedly concerned -- and possibly peeved -- that any talks he has with his little brother end up going public in the media, which is causing a major lack of trust.

To put it more bluntly, William's "now worried that anything he says to his brother will be plastered over American TV" ... according to the Vanity Fair report.

This seems to refer to Gayle King's recent reporting on "CBS This Morning" that Harry did speak to his brother and his father, Prince Charles, but that their talks were "not productive." Gayle said she called Harry and Meghan Markle directly to get the info, and apparently ... that's very worrisome to the Duke of Cambridge.

Interestingly, we talked to Gayle this week in NYC, following her reporting on Harry and William's chat, and she insists she's not a mouthpiece for Harry and Meghan ... she's just a concerned friend checking in on them.

Albeit, a friend who anchors a major morning TV show. Either way, it seems she's caught in the middle of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Buckingham Palace ... and the VF report says the Royal Family is concerned the story is "becoming a soap opera."

Gayle King says the Meghan Markle-Prince Harry interview with Oprah would have been temporarily 86'd ... if Prince Philip had died following his trip to the hospital.

Oprah's BFF revealed Wednesday on her "Gayle King in the House" SiriusXM radio show there was a plan in play to pull the plug on airing the interview on CBS if Philip had passed.

Gayle said, "Well, just so you know, they had done that interview before Prince Philip went into the hospital. If something, God forbid, had happened to him, the interview would not have run at this particular time. But, the interview was done and was scheduled before he went into the hospital. But, a lot of people have raised that point."

Prince Philip, of course, was admitted to the hospital in mid-February before word leaked that his condition was much more serious than the Palace admitted. He had been battling an infection related to a pre-existing heart condition, for which he eventually underwent surgery.

Donald Trump wants to go head-to-head with Meghan Markle for the Presidency, but first, he's doing something critics say he failed to do while in office ... and that's encouraging Americans to get the COVID vaccine.

Trump made it clear Tuesday he's siding with the Queen over Meghan, and says he's not a fan of Prince Harry's wife. In a telephone interview with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo, Trump said he wants MM to follow through with the political ambitions she reportedly has.

Not shockingly, 45 sees running against a political neophyte as the perfect incentive for his potential run to be 47.

As you know ... Meghan and Harry are beefing with the palace over allegations of racism within the Royal Family. Trump says the Queen is a "tremendous person," but he just doesn't like Meghan.

Trump also granted Dr. Fauci's recent wish, encouraging all Americans to get vaccinated for COVID-19 ... especially his supporters, the majority of whom say they won't get the shot, according to recent surveys.

Prince Harry's spoken with Prince William and Prince Charles about his bombshell interview with Oprah, but it didn't go very well ... according to Gayle King.

Gayle says conversations have begun between Harry and his family in an attempt to heal after the explosive allegations they made, but she's hearing the talks have been "not productive" so far.

Part of the problem -- according to the "CBS This Morning" anchor -- is that Buckingham Palace is giving Meghan Markle the cold shoulder, and not doing anything to give her a break.

Case in point -- Gayle and her CBS colleagues say the 2018 bullying claims against Meghan are being investigated, but there's no such known investigation into the allegations of racism against the Royal Family.

Prince Philip is finally heading home -- the Duke of Edinburgh was just cut loose from the hospital where he's been staying for damn near a month ... and seems to be in high spirits.

Queen Elizabeth's main squeeze was spotted Tuesday leaving King Edward VII's Hospital in London, where he was riding in the back seat and flashing smiles as paps fired off some shots ... this following a pretty lengthy absence out of the public eye. Remember, he was first admitted in mid-February.

The 99-year-old's hospital stay was, at first, said to be simply precautionary because he wasn't feeling well, but eventually, the truth leaked out -- he was battling an infection related to a pre-existing heart condition, for which he eventually underwent surgery.

Phil briefly visited a specialized cardiac care facility in St. Bartholomew Hospital, before coming back to the King Edward hospital ... where he finished out his recovery amid a lot of speculation about his health.

Of course, the guy has had regular visits to the doc over these past few years -- so the health scares happen from time to time. Still, this one stood out ... especially as his grandson, Prince Harry, went public with the family racism drama he says he and his wife, Meghan Markle, experienced during her early tenure with the Royals.

Meghan Markle's estranged half-sister has gone from armchair psychologist to marriage counselor for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but not a very hopeful one ... because she's predicting divorce.

Samantha Markle -- who has no relationship with Harry or Meghan and has never been with them since they hooked up -- says Meghan and Prince Harry are inevitably heading for a split unless they get some serious counseling and go on an apology tour to undo all the damage they've done to the Royal Family.

It doesn't sound like Sam's holding her breath for that though, and she suggests Harry's probably already questioning his marriage to Meghan ... whom she accuses of nonstop lying.

It's pretty incendiary stuff from Samantha, who thinks it's only a matter of time before Harry pulls away ... and divorce lawyers get involved. Again, she has no connection to the Royals either, but that hasn't stopped her from weighing in.

As we reported ... Meghan's half-sister trashed Meghan earlier this week for turning her back on their family ... claiming she suffers from "narcissistic personality disorder."

During the Oprah interview, Meghan said she's had little to no relationship with Samantha for more than 2 decades. Nevertheless, that didn't stop Samantha from writing a memoir titled, "The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister."

Unsurprisingly, Meghan's father Thomas Markle also weighed in on Oprah's interview -- specifically Meghan's revelation of her mental health struggles -- claiming she might not have reached the point of feeling suicidal if she hadn't bailed on him and the fam.

Samantha has more thoughts on the broken relationship between Meghan and their dad, and what it would take to fix it.

Prince Harry still seems pretty upset about losing his Royal security privileges, and ya can't blame him ... especially because cops say he and Meghan Markle had an unwanted visitor on their property TWICE during the holidays.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a 37-year-old man named Nickolas Brooks was caught trespassing at the Montecito, CA home of the Duke on Duchess on Christmas Eve, but Santa Barbara County Sheriff's officers let him off with a warning.

We're told the warning didn't work because cops say Brooks showed up on the property again on Dec. 26 ... so this time he was arrested.

Our sources say Brooks drove all the way from Ohio, but it's unclear what he wanted from Harry and Meghan ... or if they were even home at the time of his visits.

Brooks has been charged with one count of misdemeanor trespassing.

The incidents might seem like no big deal, but they highlight a much bigger point Harry suggested during last week's bombshell TV interview with Oprah -- he's worried about the safety of his family.

Harry told Oprah when he and Meghan left their senior royal roles and moved to North America ... Buckingham Palace stripped them of their UK security team.

Harry says he pointed out that the risks to him and his family were no less despite their change in status ... but he claims that didn't change the decision.

The killing of George Floyd has been recreated in an awful attempt at parody -- with a French magazine using Queen Elizabeth as Derek Chauvin kneeling on Meghan Markle.

Charlie Hebdo just released a new edition of its weekly publication -- and it features a crudely drawn cartoon version of QE2 pressing down on the Duchess of Sussex's neck ... who's laid down on the ground and struggling for air -- much like George Floyd last year.

The caption reads ... "POURQUOI MEGHAN A QUITTE BUCKINGHAM," which translates to "Why Meghan left Buckingham." There's a quote bubble coming from Meghan as well in the drawing, which roughly comes out to, "because I couldn't breathe anymore."

The message they're trying to communicate -- or so it seems -- is that Meghan felt smothered by Royal racism (headed up by the Queen). It turns out to be a swing and a miss -- 'cause folks aren't entertained.

Many are calling the magazine racist ... demanding they pull the new issue. While Charlie Hebdo pegs itself as a satire, a lot of people say this goes way too far -- mocking Floyd's death for cheap thrills. Not only that, but it's inaccurate ... according to Harry and Meghan.

Remember, Harry explicitly ruled out his grandmother and grandfather as the party who allegedly brought up skin color concerns as it pertained to Archie. There's a lot of speculation it was either Prince Charles or Prince William -- but the latter denied as much.

Bill Maher delivered again Friday night, with a blistering review of America ... a "silly country" he says, especially when compared to China.

The 'Real Time' host dissected the American psyche ... a country that is now obsessed with Dr. Suess' books. By contrast, he notes China couldn't give "a crouching tiger, flying f***," because they're not "silly people."

The "silly people" reference is from "Lawrence of Arabia," but Bill said the moniker fits like a glove in the U S of A.

Maher concedes China does a lot of "bad stuff," but then he lowers the boom, grousing, “We all know China does bad stuff" ... but there’s got to be something between a totalitarian government that knows what to do and a representative government that can’t do anything at all.”

He wasn't done. Bill divides the country into 2 groups -- half the U.S. is consumed with whether Mr. Potato Head has a d***, and the other half is obsessed with wacky conspiracy theories.

But, wait -- there's more. Bill goes after the movement to favor equity over merit in college admissions, and while he's on the subject, he references a few classes filled with silly students ... The Philosophy of Star Trek at Indiana State University, The Sociology of Seinfeld at SUNY Oswego, and Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse at Michigan State.

Megyn Kelly is apparently amused by the image of Queen Elizabeth packing heat to settle the beef with Meghan Markle ... at least based on Megyn's Twitter account.

As you can see, the meme -- which Megyn retweeted -- shows the Queen holding a handgun with a silencer, with the caption, "When you spend £32 million on your grandsons wedding and his wife starts bitching about you to Oprah."

Her review of the threatening meme was ... "So good." She, or someone on her team, has since deleted the tweet -- but she's already made her position known on Harry and Meghan's interview.

Kelly played Monday morning QB, criticizing Oprah for not asking the couple to be more specific about the racist allegations -- and made it clear she didn't buy Meghan's claim she didn't know anything about the Royal family before hooking up with Harry.

We reached out to Megyn's camp about the tweet ... so far, no word back.

Prince William insists the Royals are "very much not a racist family," but photos of him and his wife being carried on elevated thrones don't exactly reflect that.

The pictures resurfaced Thursday after the Duke of Cambridge emphatically denied the allegations of racism made by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry during their Oprah interview.

They show him and Kate Middleton being carried on thrones back in 2012 by people of color in the Solomon Islands. William and Kate were on their Diamond Jubilee tour of the British Commonwealth nations in the South Pacific at the time.

During the tour, they were carried on the backs of locals several times ... including in the nearby country of Tuvalu.

Understandably, these images juxtaposed with both William's and Buckingham Palace's statements about alleged racism have people wondering ... if the British monarchy has an issue with white supremacy.

While one could say the throne carrying ceremony is tradition, one would also have to look at why and how that tradition began -- and that's where race and colonization become an issue.

Meghan Markle’s friend is calling BS on the Royal Family's claim it didn't fully understand the challenges Meghan and Prince Harry were going through ... and she says she has receipts.

"The Morning Show" actress, Janina Gavankar, has been friends with Meghan for almost 2 decades, and she spoke out earlier this week to support her pal and call out Buckingham Palace for essentially playing dumb about her mental health struggles.

Janina says she has emails and texts proving the Queen's family and staff were all fully aware of what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were going through ... which contradicts Buckingham Palace saying they didn't know the "full extent."

Though Janina says she's happy Queen Elizabeth's people are finally publicly acknowledging Meghan and Harry's issues, she adds ... "Though their recollections may vary, ours don’t because we lived through it with them."

Piers Morgan's fuming after claiming his friend, Sharon Osbourne, was shamed into making an apology for defending him ... and now he wants her 'Talk' cohorts to say sorry to him!

The ex-"Good Morning Britain" host said early Friday morning he can't believe "this is where we've reached" after Sharon posted a lengthy apology Thursday night for the on-air spat she had with her cohosts.

If ya missed it, Sharon went to bat for Piers against claims his criticism of Meghan Markle was rooted in racism.

In her mea culpa, Sharon said, "To anyone of color that I offended and/or to anyone that feels confused or let down by what I said, I am truly sorry. I panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive & allowed my fear & horror of being accused of being racist take over."

She added she doesn't condone racism, misogyny or bullying, and ... "There are very few things that hurt my heart more than racism so to feel associated with that spun me fast!!"

Piers, however, is adamant Sharon herself got bullied into posting that apology, and stood up for himself ... insisting that just because he "doesn't believe Meghan Markle's bulls**t" ... that doesn't make him a racist.

He added, "I demand an apology from those @TheTalkCBS bullies for their disgraceful slurs against ME."