Why Meghan Markle’s Father Hasn’t Met His Grandkids – The Story Behind Their Rift

Why Has Meghan Markle’s Father Never Seen His Grandchildren? Inside the Conflict between Father & Daughter
In recent years, Meghan Markle’s fraught relationship with her father has garnered substantial media attention. The Duchess of Sussex has reportedly restricted her father’s access to his grandchildren as a result of their rift, resulting in the father-daughter couple remaining out of contact.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have two children. Meghan Markle is now a member of the British royal family as a result of her marriage to him. Although she maintains a close relationship with her mother, Doria Ragland, her relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, took a different path, resulting in a well-publicized estrangement.

Meghan and her father previously maintained an amicable rapport. Thomas shared an emotive memory of his daughter’s birth in 1981 during a 2021 interview, stating that he was the first to hold her. The Pennsylvania native, who has two elder children from his first marriage, stated, “I fell in love with her and had been that way for 40 years.”

Meghan also wrote an essay for Elle magazine in which she reflected on her childhood and disclosed that her parents met in the late 1970s. Her mother was employed as a temporary at the studio, while her father served as the lighting director for a soap opera.

The couple relocated to a tree-lined, affordable neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles after their marriage in 1979. Meghan’s family life took a dramatic turn in 1987 when her parents divorced, despite the close connection she shared with both parents during her early years.

The public figure pursued a career in acting as she matured, and she eventually encountered Prince Harry in 2016. However, her father’s errors during her ascending success and high-profile relationship would ultimately exacerbate their relationship’s strain.

Thomas encountered health complications during Meghan and Prince Harry’s engagement in 2017, which culminated in a heart attack mere days prior to the wedding in May 2018. He disclosed that his condition was exacerbated by stress, which was partially attributable to his eldest daughter’s public criticism of Meghan.

Thomas disclosed that he had not received correspondence from Meghan since the announcement that he would not be attending the wedding. Nevertheless, he believed that her mother was an appropriate option to accompany her down the aisle. He expressed apprehensions regarding his health following a brief hospitalization in Mexico, as he was concerned that he might experience another heart attack.

Meghan announced in a statement from Kensington Palace shortly before the nuptials, “Unfortunately, my father will not be able to attend our wedding.”

Prince Charles ultimately escorted her down the aisle in her father’s absence. After contemplating this, Thomas expressed his gratitude, stating, “I could not have asked for a more suitable replacement.” Nevertheless, I would have been delighted to have accomplished that.

The father of three was unable to attend the wedding due to the backlash he received in response to the staged photographs he sold to a photo agency. He clarified that his intention was not to cause injury to Meghan or the Royal Family, but rather to express his frustration with the paparazzi for their frequent capture of him in unflattering situations, frequently misrepresenting him.

Thomas disclosed that he had declined lucrative interview invitations since Meghan began courting the prince. In the expectation that the images would enhance his public image, he consented to a reduced fee from a photo agency. Nevertheless, he subsequently acknowledged that the photographs appeared “stupid and hammy” and expressed remorse for his decision.

Thomas’s covert collaboration with a British paparazzo for contrived photographs caused the Royal Family to feel embarrassed in the lead-up to the wedding, particularly in light of Prince Harry’s previous requests for media restraint.

The Duke of Sussex was particularly distressed by the situation, as he had previously expressed his opposition to paparazzi behavior and recalled how similar pursuits had resulted in his mother, Princess Diana’s, tragic death in 1997.

Consequently, the royal contacted Thomas during his hospitalization, stating, “If you had heeded my advice, none of this would have transpired.”

Thomas reportedly abruptly terminated the call, a decision that he later regretted, acknowledging that this moment signaled the beginning of their rift.

In July 2018, he told associates that he had not spoken to Meghan or Prince Harry in a long time after the initial fallout. He was apprehensive that he would never be able to see his daughter again.

As he struggled to comprehend the reason for his exclusion from Meghan’s life, he expressed a sense of finality, stating, “I think they’re shot of me now,” heartbroken over their growing estrangement. Thomas later claimed that he had been set up to disrupt the nuptials, portraying himself as a victim in the situation.

Meghan had composed a personal letter for him, which was subsequently disclosed by a media outlet, which further exacerbated the tension. Meghan pursued legal action against the publication for disclosing the contents of her private message as a result of this violation of privacy.

Meghan’s father has never met her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who she welcomed in 2019 and 2021, respectively, as a result of their ongoing dispute.

Thomas has since expressed his desire to visit his grandchildren. In a 2023 interview, he disclosed that he initially became aware of Lilibet’s birth through media reports.

Meghan’s father’s illness in May 2022, which resulted in his temporary loss of speech, only enhanced the distance between them. Thomas disclosed that neither Meghan nor Prince Harry had attempted to contact him to inquire about his well-being.

“I am heartbroken,” he acknowledged upon contemplation of this. “I am extremely distressed,” he stated, characterizing it as “cruel” and painful for them to prevent him from seeing his grandchildren. Thomas reportedly no longer regards Meghan as his daughter, and the animosity between the father and daughter persists.

Meghan addressed her troubled relationship with Thomas during a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey. She described how the media’s relentless pursuit resulted in publications locating her father and even establishing a presence in close proximity to his residence.

Thomas ultimately went behind her back to communicate with them, despite the royal’s efforts to protect him from the press as she disclosed. She expressed her sense of betrayal by stating that he had essentially fabricated his involvement, which played a role in their estrangement.

Thomas remains adamant that he was a decent father and does not deserve Meghan Markle’s treatment, despite the ongoing conflict. It is his last hope that his daughter will reach out, thereby bridging the gap that has separated their family.