Meghan & Harry Arrested Development

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MEETING the family is a huge step in any relationship. So when Prince Harry, 32,introduced his girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle, 35, to sister-in-law Kate Middleton on Jan. 10, it was a clear sign the lovers are getting more than serious. The couple, who had just returned from a trip to see the Northern Lights in Norway, visited the duchess at Kensington Palace, and “it couldn’t have gone better,” a royal insider says. Kate’s husband, Prince William, was reportedly there as well, as was their young daughter, Charlotte. “Meg and Harry couldn’t have been happier about how well everyone got along,” the insider adds. “They were really looking forward to taking things to the next level.”

Those hopes may turn out to be premature. Just two days after the joyous get-together, Meghan’s half brother, Thomas Markle II, was arrested in Oregon for allegedly holding a gun to his girlfriend’s head in a drunken altercation — an incident that has cast a shadow over Meghan and Harry’s blossoming romance. “Talk about bad timing!” says a source.