RICK JACKSON: It's love actually, just like any other family

I’m sure I’m not the only one who raised an eyebrow at the announcement that Prince Harry was to marry TV star Meghan Markle?

The divorcée’s family background is rather turbulent too, with her relationship with her mother and father, now separated, and her half-brother coming under the microscope.

She is famous in her own right. A shining Hollywood star, independent, forward thinking and having her own interests and passions including charity work.

She is giving this all up for Prince Harry. She is giving up a way of life she has fought hard for to become a princess.

This in itself is something out of a Hollywood romantic comedy, or something from the pen of Richard Curtis to rival Notting Hill or Love Actually.

I wonder what is going on behind the scenes at the Palace? What must their reaction have been when they heard her half-brother had written to Harry warning him not to marry her.

Then her father, staging photographs of him getting measured for a suit and looking at pictures of the couple in an internet cafe?

I’m sure the Queen is far from amused.

This sort of behaviour does not follow royal protocol nor is it the type of behaviour one expects from future in-laws of the royal family.

But because of all this, I’m sure it will endear Meghan and the couple further into the affections of the British public.

For her, her background is more typical of a British family that the royals will ever be.

We will all want to put a subconscious arm around her when she walks down the aisle with her mum and not her dad.

Now that royals are allowed to marry ‘commoners’ this is what they have to expect.

There are plenty of warts in Meghan’s family, but just as many in the Windsors I’m sure.

Good luck to them, I hope the sun shines on them this weekend and for many years to come.

TAKE BREXIT A STEP FURTHER AND QUIT EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

What a shame the Eurovision Song Contest has turned into a political farce. We could have entered Adele or Ed Sherran and still finished in the bottom three.

I actually think the show itself was superb. The whole production had the wow factor like no other. Everything was thrown at it.

Some of the songs were rather good too, including ours performed by SuRie, but not Hungary’s. That was rubbish.

So, how a rotund, boss-eyed girl doing an impression of a chicken from a country outside Europe, but singing in English, win ‘Euro’-vision is beyond me.

The fact that most songs were in English too just beggars belief.

Maybe it’s time for a hard Brexit from Eurovision too?

OH DAD! SURELY YOU KNOW THAT...

I cannot believe Freddie starts school in September.

We were very happy he got into our first choice of school, even though we are not quite in the catchment area.

I popped down the other day to register him and receive all the literature about his school day.

It then hit me as I walked back to the car. This will be our journey for the next six years of our lives as Holly will join him in a couple of years.

We’ve seen his classroom, his school dinner menu and have ordered his uniform and school bag.

I wonder how old he will be when his homework outstrips my knowledge? By the time he’s five probably!