Meghan Markle’s estranged father Thomas Markle ‘hurt and upset’ as she and Harry return to UK without meeting Archie and Lilibet: ‘She doesn’t give a damn about me’
Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, says he feels “hurt and upset” that his daughter and Prince Harry are reportedly returning to the UK with their children without introducing him to his grandchildren.Thomas Markle, 82, said he learned about the couple’s reported move by watching the news rather than hearing from his daughter directly. He has never met Harry or his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet.“I saw on CNN that they were returning to England. I found out about it at the same time as the rest of the world,” Thomas told The Daily Mail on Sunday.“I’m hurt and upset that she doesn’t give a damn about me, even though I’m in hospital,” he added.
‘Meghan used to love me’
Thomas is currently recovering at a rehabilitation centre in the US after having his left leg amputated below the knee. He underwent the amputation in December after developing a potentially fatal blood clot while living in the Philippines.Reflecting on his relationship with Meghan, Thomas said, “Meghan used to love me, she was always a daddy’s girl, and now it’s like I don’t exist.”He said the couple’s reported return to Britain has left him fearing that he may never get the opportunity to meet his grandchildren.“I have never met my grandchildren, and now they are leaving America,” he said.“One day those kids will ask about their ‘other’ grandfather – the one who isn’t King – the one that Meghan and Harry are apparently ashamed of.”“I hope they know how much I wanted to meet them,” he added.
Thomas Markle says hope of meeting grandchildren is fading
Thomas said he had hoped Meghan and Harry might visit him while they were living in the US.“While they were in the US, I always hoped they might come and see me. Now they are leaving, that hope has gone,” he said.His relationship with Meghan deteriorated in the lead-up to her 2018 wedding after he posed for paparazzi photographs. Meghan has not spoken to her father since then.Despite their estrangement, Thomas said he still loves his daughter.“I will never stop loving my daughter but I will never understand why she turned her back on me,” he said.Thomas’s eldest daughter and Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, also spoke about their father’s recovery, saying, “I’m really proud of dad’s progress. Every day is a blessing.”
Harry and Meghan reportedly preparing to move back to UK
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly set to return to the UK with their children, Archie and Lilibet, after nearly six years in the US.
The comments come as Prince Harry and Meghan are reportedly preparing to return to Britain with their two children after nearly six years in the United States.According to two people familiar with the decision, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to move back to Britain in the coming weeks. The move would mark their return to the country they left after stepping back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family.King Charles III was reportedly informed about the decision on Sunday, according to The New York Times. The couple’s reported plans were not discussed during their meeting with the King earlier this year, one person familiar with the decision said.Harry and Meghan are expected to remain private individuals and non-working royals after returning to Britain. Their exact residence has not been disclosed, but they are not expected to move back into royal accommodation.
Archie and Lilibet reportedly set to attend school in Britain
Archie and Lilibet have spent most of their lives in the US. According to one person familiar with the couple’s plans, the children have been enrolled in a school in Britain and are expected to begin classes in September.Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020 after announcing that they would step back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family. Harry was subsequently stripped of his honorary military titles and royal patronages in 2021.Their relationship with the royal family has remained strained. Harry discussed his experiences within the monarchy in his memoir Spare, while he and Meghan spoke about their lives as working royals during their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Security remains a concern for Prince Harry
Security has also been a longstanding concern for Harry. He has repeatedly argued that his family would not be safe in Britain without police protection, and his legal battle over his security arrangements has continued since his move to the US.The couple’s relocation to America also marked a major shift in their professional lives. They later signed a deal with Netflix and released the six-part documentary series Harry & Meghan, in which they discussed their experiences within the royal family and their decision to step away.Harry’s memoir Spare, released in 2023, became a major commercial success, selling more than 1.43 million copies across the US, Canada and Britain on its first day.Buckingham Palace representatives declined to comment on the reported move, while a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan did not respond to requests for comment, according to The New York Times.
