Meghan Markle's future sister-in-law was arrested on New Year's eve in Oregon after an altercation with Thomas Markle, potentially dashing her brother's hopes to attend the royal wedding in May.

An law enforcement source with the Josephine County Jail told DailyMail.com that Tom's fiancée 'Darlene Blount was booked on January 1st. She was charged with fourth degree assault.'

Prince Harry's soon to be sister-in-law was arrested just before the clock struck midnight on New Year, and was booked around 4:20am, after a boozed-up altercation with Tom.

Darlene Blount, 37, was arrested just before the clock struck midnight in Oregon on New Year's eve, for assaulting Meghan Markle's half brother Thomas Markle Jr.

What would Harry say? Meghan Markle's future sister-in-law was arrested for assaulting the soon-to-be royal's half brother

Prince Harry and Megan Markle are preparing for a May wedding, pictured in an engagement announcement photo from November

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a decidedly more upscale welcoming for 2018, as they rang in the New Year on the French Riviera.

Sources say the prince and Meghan Markle flew out of Heathrow on New Year's Eve on a scheduled British Airways flight to Nice.

In an attempt to remain incognito, the pair boarded their 9.55am flight before any other passengers and headed straight to the back of the plane, next to the rear toilets.

They also took up three rows of economy seats on both sides of the aisle, even though there were only themselves and three 'edgy and nervous' bodyguards in their party.

Harry, 33, took the seat next to the window dressed in jeans, a jacket and with a baseball cap pulled over his face.

Meghan's brother Tom spoke to DailyMail.com just days before the New Year began.

Before ringing in the New Year on a sour note, Tom spent his Christmas at home in Grants Pass with Blount, 37, and her seven-year-old son.

He has not seen or spoken to his 36-year-old half-sister since 2011 but says he and Meghan are not estranged but lost touch after she moved to Toronto, Canada, to take up a role in Suits.

'She got to the point where she got busier and busier so it was really hard to nail her down,' he explained to DailyMail.com.

'It's not really that we grew apart, it was she was out there [in Toronto] doing her job – it was the biggest deal she got on TV so she had no time.

'But we spent a lot of weekends together with our grandmother [Doris Markle] before she left.'

He is now hoping that the Markle clan will one day be reunited for Christmas and says that while he doesn't expect an invitation to Meghan and Harry's May wedding, it would mean a lot to get one.

Meghan's half brother had his own run in with the law, pictured left in his mugshot from last January. That incident also involved Blount- authorities said he threatened her with a gun

Childhood photos provided by her half-brother Thomas Jr show 11-year-old Meghan with her father Thomas Sr, her nephews, and sister-in-law

The 51-year-old, who was arrested himself last January for putting a gun to his fiancée's head, was released without charge, added: 'I don't know if she gets to invite who she wants. But she'll reach out if she wants me there - she'll call me. She knows where to find me.

'But that's up to her, there's no pressure. I wouldn't mind seeing my little sister have the biggest wedding in the world – that would be incredible.

'Of course [it would mean a lot]. I didn't go to her last one in Jamaica, I was working or something. But if my dad doesn't walk her down the aisle, then I will.'