MEGHAN MARKLE turns 37 today and I’m sure the morning will begin with a fab present from her loving ­husband and lots of congrats from her new family.

She’s due to attend the wedding of one of Prince Harry’s oldest school friends, who goes by the almost comically posh name Charles van Straubenzee.

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Meghan Markle’s biggest challenge over recent months has been the erratic behaviour of her dadCredit: The Mega Agency

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Meghan Markle’s half-sister Samantha Markle urges Duchess of Sussex to reach out to Dad Thomas before it’s too late
It will be a day full of romance and glamour, with the newest duchess being very much “on show”.

There’s one person who Meghan won’t be hearing from though, and that’s her dad.

Thomas Markle dearly wants to phone his daughter but doesn’t have her new number.

He also wanted to send her a birthday card but reckons it would just be one of thousands sent to the palace and even ruefully, and rather bitterly, commented that if he sent her a package “they” would probably test it for being suspicious.

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Thomas Markle’s communication with his daughter has broken down… but she is not blamelessCredit: The Mega Agency

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The six things Meghan Markle WON’T be allowed to do on her birthday (including eating cake before the Queen)
What a shame it has come to this.

There’s no doubt Thomas has scored some spectacular own goals since his daughter got engaged to Prince Harry.

The posed paparazzi photos were a huge mistake and the interviews he has given and comments made to various media ­outlets were ill-advised.

I reckon he is just desperate to maintain contact with his daughter, and the media outbursts are his clumsy and increasingly desperate way of doing so.

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Thomas Markle has admitted he got it wrong ahead of the royal weddingCredit: James Breeden / The Sun
As I have previously said, if he had been given even a tiny bit of advice from palace officials or, even better, from his future son in law, it could all have been very different.

The way Thomas and the whole Markle clan were left to fend for themselves was one of the most stupid decisions ever made by royal advisers.

Astonishingly, officials only woke up to the fact they have a potential timebomb on their hands a few days ago, when those who should have helped Meghan’s dad from the start have been having “crisis talks” on how to shut him up.

Meghan and Harry have been an item since 2016.

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Prince Harry and wife Meghan should have been more preparedCredit: Rex Features
Why on earth has it taken advisers so long to wake up to the fact that Meghan’s relationships with most of her family were fraught and difficult and could potentially blow up in her face?

Her fairytale wedding was spoilt when her dad couldn’t walk her down the aisle.

There’s blame on both sides.

Meghan and Harry should have quietly gone to see him in person when they decided to get engaged, or should have had him flown over to London, where he could have been fully briefed on this new world he was about to enter by proxy.

On the other hand, Thomas should have kept quiet and not colluded with the paparazzi, who Prince Harry loathes because he believes they hounded his mother Princess Diana to her death.

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Prince Harry and Meghan are all loved upCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun
It was a colossal blunder on Thomas’s part, causing a massive rift with Meghan.

Meghan seems like a decent woman with a social conscience.

She has enchanted Prince Harry, is hugely popular with the other royals and has developed a close bond with the Queen.

Today sees HM not only wishing Meghan many happy returns, but also remembering that August 4 was her beloved “Mummy’s” birthday too.

The Queen Mother died in 2002, at the age of 101.

The two of them were extremely close, and I’m sure HM is delighted Meghan and her own mother, Doria Ragland, also have a ­loving relationship.

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Meghan and her mum Doria have a great relationshipCredit: Getty – Pool
Doria has been utterly dignified and faultless in her dealings with the media.

It was widely reported that she received advice from US TV royalty Oprah Winfrey before the wedding.

Doria was also invited for tea with the Queen and very much welcomed into the fold.

It’s a sharp contrast to the way Thomas has been treated, but Meghan still has the chance to build bridges.

Those palace officials holding their ­“crisis talks” need to remember he is a vulnerable human being who is desperately hurt at being “frozen out” by his daughter, whether he deserves it or not.

It could all be fixed with just one phone call from Meghan today as she celebrates her first birthday as a fully fledged royal.

Life is just too short to fall out with family and friends, no matter your wealth or social standing.

My dog’s tomato catch up

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Lorraine enjoyed an afternoon out with her dog this weekCredit: INSTAGRAM/LORRAINE KELLY
AMID all the Brexit fallout and the threat of the planet turning into a fiery, uninhabitable ball, there are still some things that make it good to be alive.

I was visiting a local garden centre recently with my wee dog Angus on a day where parents who had children with them were being given a free tomato plant.

It was a way of encouraging youngsters to look up from their mobile phones and iPads and connect with nature.

Adorable Scottish fire dog dressed in ‘doggles’ and flameproof boots set to become viral star with his very own Twitter account
When I went to the checkout, the kindly cashier took a look at my cute border terrier and asked whether my little boy would also like a free tomato plant.

I don’t think there’s another country in the world that would recognise that our puppies and dogs are very much part of the family.
The tomatoes also turned out to be fantastic.

Scene of sorrow so stunning

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Elizabeth’s death in Poldark was an emotional momentCredit: Handout
EVEN though I had read the books and wallowed in the splendid 1970s TV series, so knew full well it was coming, the death of Elizabeth in Poldark last weekend was still like a hard kick in the stomach.

Kudos all round to the screenwriters, directors and cast, especially Heida Reed as Elizabeth and Jack Farthing as her husband George Warleggan, a man who bristles with rage and insecurity.

Elizabeth, right and above with Ross, ended up having children with the three men who adored her.

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Stunning… Heidi Reed played Elizabeth in PoldarkCredit: BBC
The rather foppish Geoffrey Charles with first husband Francis Poldark, young Valentine with Ross after just one night together and little Ursula the “she bear” with George.

This has been a superlative show, with far too much emphasis on Aiden Turner’s topless scything and good looks (understandable but a distraction) and not enough on the strong performances and cracking storytelling.

There will be one more series next year to wrap up the Poldark/Warleggan saga, and if you can’t wait until then you could read the original novels or download the 1975 telly version, which still stands the test of time.

Beauty and the beasts

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Scarlett Moffatt has come in for so much unfair criticismCredit: PA:Press Association
FOR the record, Scarlett Moffatt looked gorgeous on TV last week and I’m furious that this lovely girl was reduced to tears when people mocked her appearance on social media.

She was accused of flashing her bra and looking fat.

This is ludicrous on both counts. She’s a normal-sized girl who was wearing a cute, low-cut dress. Big deal.

I know Scarlett brought out one of those fitness DVDs, in which reality stars are forced to subsist on sparrow-like portions of food and frantically exercise for hours on end to lose weight quickly.

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Scarlett was criticised after her recent appearance on Love Island’s spin-off showCredit: Rex Features
It works in the short term but is totally unsustainable and Scarlett admitted she was utterly miserable while being subjected to such a ruthless regime.

It’s not the way to do it.

Along with my fabulously supportive and inspirational fitness instructor Maxine Jones, I also brought out a DVD to hopefully inspire women to get fit and feel healthier in their bodies and minds.

It wasn’t about counting calories or doing hours of stomach crunches, but about eating sensibly, finding exercise you enjoy and having the support of a class to keep on track.

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Scarlett previously lost weight through a controversial DVDCredit: DVD
I lost the excess pounds and kept the weight off because I eat sensibly in the week then indulge at weekends, and I still go to class once or twice a week.

I’m content because I’ve got the balance right.

I just want Scarlett and other young girls to be happy in their own skins, and not to listen to jealous trolls trying to wreck their confidence and make them feel ugly when they are beautiful inside and out.

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Fromer Labour leader John Smith would be appalled by Jeremy Corbyn’s conductCredit: Alamy
I WONDER what the late Labour leader John Smith would have made of the repugnant anti-Semitism tainting his beloved party.

He was a fair, humane and thoroughly decent man of integrity who would not have tolerated such deeply offensive and potentially dangerous hatred towards a minority.

Jeremy Corbyn has behaved shamefully throughout this whole scandal and the party’s reputation has suffered a potentially fatal blow.