In a late but still very strong contender for the messiest news story of 2018, Samantha Markle has been placed on a watch list by Scotland Yard, over concerns that she is fixated upon her sister Meghan. If you want to make this post interactive, we would recommend listening to this Mariah Carey classic as you read on … otherwise, let’s continue.
Still here? Great. According to reports in The Times, Samantha Markle’s repeated and public attempts to reach out to her sister and end their alleged feud have put the royal family at “reputational risk”, and raised a red flag with authorities, over concerns her behaviour might continue.
The 57-year-old has made numerous public statements about her in-laws in recent months, calling Meghan a “liar” and Harry a “hamster”, among other more obscure insults. Then there was that time she showed up unannounced at Kensington Palace, only to be turned away by guards.
Scotland Yard’s Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, which exists to “assess and manage the risks from lone individuals who harass, stalk or threaten public figures,” has since declared Markle a “fixated person”, on the basis that she refuses to leave her sister alone.
Speaking with The Times, a representative of the agency said:
“You can’t protect someone like the Duchess of Sussex without knowing the background of her family. But someone like Samantha presents a risk rather than a threat. She is not committing criminal offences, but she is causing concerns for the royal family.”
The source continued:
“There is big potential for some major embarrassment for the royals. Samantha could make a scene and create headlines with her actions – and let’s face it she’s kind of already done that.”
Samantha Markle has responded, telling The Times that this assessment of her is “ludicrous” and that she is not a reputational risk to Meghan and Harry.
