A Rollercoaster Of Family Relationships
Sitting down with 7News Spotlight, Meghan's estranged father, Thomas, made an emotional plea to Meghan, telling interviewer Liam Bartlett, "I wish that we could sit down and talk. I wish we could work out our differences." Markle added, "She loved me. I'm her hero. And suddenly, I was thrown out."
Markle was referring to the explosive falling-out the Duchess had with her family in the run-up to her 2018 royal wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. The discord was initiated by Meghan's half-sister, Samantha, writing on Twitter that the Duchess-to-be was "narcissistic" and "selfish," who had slighted her own family in the name of social climbing. In mid-2017, Samantha also announced she would be releasing a tell-all memoir titled, The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister.
After Meghan and Harry became engaged in November of 2017, it was initially confirmed that Thomas Markle would walk Meghan down the aisle at the wedding ceremony—however, plans changed by the wedding day after a series of public family fights shook the media, culminating in the revelation that Thomas Markle had accepted money to stage photos for paparazzi portraying himself supposedly getting ready for the wedding day. On May 16th, just three days before the wedding, Thomas announced that he would not be attending, citing health concerns. Famously, it was the then-Prince Charles that eventually walked Meghan down the aisle at the May 19th ceremony.
Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland—Thomas' ex-second wife—was the only member of Meghan's family present at the historic occasion.
The Markle Family Tells All
Airing just days before King Charles III's coronation, which Meghan will not be attending, the 7News special contained many personal details shared by the Markle family.
Thomas discussed the "infamous" private letter Meghan had sent to him after the royal wedding, which Thomas had released to the press—prompting a legal battle between the Sussexes and the Mail on Sunday, who, the couple argued, had published the personal letter "unlawfully."
In the letter, Meghan expressed her pain regarding their estrangement, and asked that Thomas stop using the media to get to her. During the 7News interview, Thomas said he felt that the letter was "horrible," calling it "very insulting and cruel." He continued, "The other things in that letter is (sic) so hateful and so cruel that I wouldn't put it out, and that's more protecting her than myself."
Despite these claims of cruelty, Thomas spent most of the interview pleading with Meghan to make peace with him before he passes away—a clear concern of his after recently having a stroke. "I wish that we can sit down and talk," he said. "I wish we could work out our differences." The estranged father further mused, "She has got to ask herself this every day, why am I doing this to my father?" Markle also stated that he has never met his grandchildren, and wondering if it was "worth [it]" to "dump" him for the rest of his life.
Eventually, Thomas summed up his thoughts in a final remark: "Harry, nice guy. I love you for marrying my daughter. Meg, I love you. I love my grandchildren. I love to see them and am open to any kind of conversation."
Samantha Markle Says Harry and Meghan Have 'A Toxic Relationship'
One Markle family member who didn't hold back at all during the 7News interview was Meghan's half-sister Samantha, who criticized the Duchess' behavior and even her marriage. Samantha told the interviewer, "[Meghan] would still be a waitress if it wasn't for Dad," and also condemned the relationship between the Sussexes. "They're really unhealthy for each other. I think it's a toxic relationship because they're co-dependent."
Samantha shared her thoughts that Meghan felt she needed to isolate herself from the Markles to fit in more with the Royal Family. "It doesn’t seem like she felt that she was good enough. That seemingly, in her mind. she had to inflate who she was, to garner false admiration and to be accepted by the royals...
Instead of saying, look, I’ve worked very hard, my family was upper middle class. My dad was amazing, he put me through the best schools, he did the best he could, he loved me, he sacrificed, and for that I’m grateful. Instead, what she did was engage in self-glorification and leave everybody else out of the equation as if she existed in a vacuum."
Interviewer Liam Bartlett pushed back for clarity: "So if I may, can I just paraphrase you there? You are saying that, that Meghan, your sister, by your own description, is a selfish narcissist?"
Samantha's response? "World-renowned psychiatrists have been quoted as saying that, and I have a master’s degree in counseling. So I’m going to say with the degree of confidence that I believe and agree with that diagnosis." It's worth mentioning that Samantha recently lost a lawsuit against Meghan for defamation when a Florida judge dismissed the case.
Thomas Jr., Meghan's half-brother, also criticized the Duchess in the interview. "Who is she going to have to turn to in the family, that she hasn’t thrown under the bus? Like I said, a simple apology, and it doesn’t have to be in public. But just get it over with and relieve yourself of all that stress."
While Prince Harry attends King Charles III's coronation on May 6th, Meghan will be staying home with the couple's children Archie and Lilibet to celebrate Archie's 4th birthday, which coincides with the coronation celebration.
The Duchess has not yet commented on the revealing Markle family interview.