The days leading up to a wedding can be stressful for the bride, who’ll want to avoid even the tiniest hitch that could otherwise ruin her big day and embarrass her.

But in Meghan Markle’s case, the embarrassing hitch is her DAD.

Thomas Markle, who will be walking his daughter down the aisle on May 19, is being shat on for secretly collaborating with a paparazzi photographer to take staged photos of him, according to the The Daily Beast:

When [Markle] took part in a series of humorous and apparently candid shots, engaged in such entertaining activities as checking the internet for news about his daughter’s forthcoming wedding to Prince Harry, being measured, apparently for his wedding suit, and reading a book entitled, Images of Britain in a branch of Starbucks, many suspicious picture editors felt there was something fishy about the images.

Fishy, they were.

Depressing confirmation has been provided by British newspaper The Daily Mail on Sunday that Markle colluded and collaborated with a paparazzi photographer to take the images.

However, the fact that Markle did collaborate with a well-known paparazzi photographer, British snapper Jeff Rayner, 44, is a huge embarrassment for Kensington Palace, which sent out stern letters in recent weeks ordering journalists to stay away from Meghan’s dad, saying he had been “followed and harassed” by photographers and journalists.

However, The Mail on Sunday has obtained CCTV imagery which clearly shows Markle cooperating with the photographer in an internet café to have his picture taken.

Check out the footage and behold the shenanigans that took place:

Oy vey.

Staff members have corroborated that Markle and Rayner met on the premises to take the photos:

Here’s Rayner walking in with his camera, with Markle following behind. Shady!

A Starbucks employee who claims to have served Markle a coffee on the occasion when he was photographed reading a book entitled Images of Britain told The Mail on Sunday that Markle had arrived at the shop with the photographer, suggesting the image was carefully choreographed.

The famous photograph of Markle being measured with a measuring tape was staged at a party shop after a nearby tailor’s was closed, The Mail says. The shop assistant shown measuring Markle’s waist has told The Mail on Sunday that Mr. Markle even produced the tape measure himself.

The assistant said that Markle tipped him $15 after he pretended to measure him up.

That’s Markle acting “natural” above, as he looks at images of his daughter and future son-in-law, Prince Harry.

Apparently Markle decided to shed some last-minute weight before the wedding, but The Daily Beast reckons that this pic was taken on a hill strewn with tyres and rubbish – quite a dodgy place to exercise, eh?

The pictures would have earned around R1 219 870 in international syndication rights, although it’s unknown if Markle was paid for participating.

Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure that Markle got more than a Starbucks coffee out of this whole thing.

[sources:dailybeast&dailymail]