A look at Meghan Markle's relationship with father Thomas Markle after his bombshell TV interview

As Meghan Markle prepares for her son Prince Archie’s fourth birthday in Montecito, it is expected that her mother Doria Ragland will play a pivotal role in the day’s proceedings. 

In stark contrast, Meghan Markle’s relationship with her father Thomas Markle couldn’t be more different. According to The Independent, “The Duchess of Sussex’s father, 78, claimed in the Australian news programme 7News Spotlight that his daughter had not called him in four years. He has said that his appearance on the programme would be his ‘final ever’ interview.”

In the interview, Thomas Markle was shown having difficulty speaking (he suffered from a debilitating stroke a year ago), He was joined by his children, Thomas Markle Jr and Samantha Markle (Meghan’s half siblings). 

During the interview, he revealed how upset he feels about their estrangement. “Meg I love you-I love my grandchildren, I’d love to see them,” he revealed.

According to the New York Post, “Thomas Markle shared touching videos of him with his daughter as proof that “she loved’ her dad, who was ‘her hero’-before ‘suddenly I was thrown out.”

PeopleWorld looks back at Meghan and her father Thomas Markle’s relationship

Meghan Markle spoke about her relationship with her father in the second episode of the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan. She revealed the following: “I was a daddy’s girl my whole life and I was with him a lot.” Meghan did however acknowledge, “but I do remember also feeling lonely when I was a kid and wanting to have more people around.”

She also recalled that after school, she would go and visit her dad (who was a lighting director) on set and how much she enjoyed those times. 

However, those ‘happy times with her dad’ as a child now seem like a fleeting memory for Meghan. According to Newsweek, “Meghan’s relationship with her father publicly broke down over staged paparazzi pictures taken in the weeks before her wedding in May 2018.” Meghan’s father did not attend the wedding after suffering an alleged heart attack, and she was walked down the aisle by King Charles (the then Prince of Wales). 

Meghan and her father’s relationship then took an even worse turn when he released extracts from a letter she wrote to him urging him to stop talking to the British Press. Newsweek then went on to say that “a long court battle between the royal and The Mail on Sunday ensued, culminating in a win for Meghan over breach of privacy. During the course of the legal action, it was revealed that Meghan and her father were estranged.”

With only days to go the coronation, is obviously not coincidental that Thomas Markle and his children have chosen to sit down for a bombshell interview. Samantha Markle also revealed that she thinks Prince Harry and her half-sister have a ‘toxic relationship’ and are ‘very unhealthy for each other.’

As well as having an extremely difficult relationship with her father, Meghan also has a similar relationship with her sister Samantha. Only recently, the Duchess of Sussex won a court battle against her half-sister after a judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit.

Although Meghan is not attending the coronation, it would seem she cannot avoid the headlines. As well as further revelations from her father and half siblings, she has also recently signed up with Hollywood talent agency WME.

Thomas Markle seems determined to make sure that everyone continues to hear ‘his side of the story’ and revealed how upset he was that she didn’t reach out to him after he suffered from a stroke. “She killed me and then mourned me,” he revealed. “I refuse to be buried by her.”

With those damming words, it would appear that as much as there appeared to be no return for Meghan and her father before his latest bombshell interview, after his latest revelations, there is 100% no way back for the father and daughter.