OFF THE MARK
What has Thomas Markle said about his daughter Meghan?
THOMAS Markle says he has "trouble believing" his daughter Meghan's comments to Oprah Winfrey.
The Duchess of Sussex was scathing about her dad - who has never met his grandson, Archie - accusing him of colluding with tabloids in the UK.
12
What has Thomas Markle said about his daughter Meghan?
March 2021
Thomas Markle spoke out about his daughter’s interview with Oprah Winfrey after seeing it being broadcast by CBS on Sunday, March 7, 2021.
He told Good Morning Britain on March 9: “I have trouble believing this. I really do."
Thomas hasn’t spoken to Meghan since her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
He added: “I see things on my daughter’s face that nobody else ever sees sometimes.”
Thomas continues to deny colluding with the tabloids, saying he posed for pics to improve his image in the UK.
He told GMB: "This is actually the first time I have heard her speak in about four years.
"The last time we spoke we actually texted each other. I was laying in a hospital bed after having a heart attack. And I had to tell them that I couldn't come to the wedding.
"At that point we pretty much said 'goodbye'. Actually, it wasn't quite saying goodbye.
"Harry said to me at that point 'if you had listened to me, this wouldn't have happened to you, and me laying in a hospital bed after a procedure and getting a stent put here and a stent put here (pointing to his chest), felt like that was kind of snotty, so I hung up on him.
"And that's the last conversation I ever had."
12
Piers Morgan asked Thomas how he felt about the Oprah interview, given that he has never met Harry or Archie, adding that it was an "extraordinarily sad family situation".
Thomas replied: "Well I'm very disappointed about it. I've apologised about this thing, what happened, at least 100 times or so."
He added: "Bottom line, I never heard back from Meghan or Harry in any way shape or form.
"When they said... I'm taking advantage of the press, well basically what I do, because I haven't heard from them, is I will do a story for the press, if I don't hear from them in 30 days, then I'll do another story for the press.
"And I'm yet to hear from them. I would love to hear from them."
Thomas said he was talking to the media "because they're [Harry and Meghan] not talking to me - when they decide to talk to me I'll stop talking to the press".
When asked about the deal with a photographer to have pics taken to put him in a better light ahead of the Royal wedding, Thomas replied: "My oldest daughter [Samantha] was contacted by a man... who was a photographer who said if you can convince your dad, we can make him look good.
"For a year, every day outside my house, somebody was taking photos of me. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without being photographed buying something... and God forbid I'm buying beers for the guard gate.
"Everybody knows I don't drink, but I bought beers for the guys at my guard gate... and they [media] were making me an alcoholic, they were talking about the way I dress, so yes I went for this deal with this man who was going to make me look better.
"Maybe I got sucked into it, but I believed it was going to work - it didn't work, of course, when it was exposed I said [to the photographer] what's happening?"
12
Thomas said the snapper had been supposed to photograph him with a long lens.
The photographer said he would make him "look great". Then, the pics were released a few days before the wedding, causing a huge uproar, and the fall-out with Meghan.
He admitted that he initially denied the set-up to his daughter.
An emotional Thomas added: "I wish I hadn't done the whole thing. But here's the other side of this coin. It's like no one took any time to protect any member of our family.
"We were attacked by the press, every day, my oldest daughter, my son, myself, grandchildren, all of us were attacked by the press - nobody was there to care for us.
"I was left out to dry."
Thomas told GMB: "In spite of all of that I still apologised, I'm still apologising today again but I also said we all make mistakes, but I've never played naked pool and I've never dressed up like Hitler."
He added: "I'm sure that made Meghan get really angry with me but that's how I felt at the time."
Piers Morgan asked about the letter written by Meghan to her dad - after she won her privacy court action against the Mail on Sunday.
Thomas confirmed, "I'm the one who released part of the letter. And that was because a magazine was doing a story... Meghan's friends were telling a story about me that was mostly lies... I said I had to retaliate."
12
In regards to a question about being 'shamed' by Harry and Meghan on Oprah's interview to "promote their own image", he replied: "I've been pushed around and knocked down for one big mistake I made.
"I've apologised for it as many times as I possibly can. However, I love my daughter very much. Had I known she was having psychological problems, I would have been there for her.
"Biggest problem here is she's pretty much ghosted all of our family, on her mother's side and my side, so she really had no one to reach out to.
"She would have had us if she kept us."
Asked about her description of her mental health struggles during pregnancy with Archie, he said it had 'really upset' him.
"It would have been easy for her to reach out to me, and the rest of the family who she claims she doesn't need to know," he added.
Asked whether they could mend their relationship, Thomas replied: "Bottom line is, she didn't lose me... I would have always been there for her. I'm there for her now if she wants me."
In February 2021 he told CBS that he wished "Meghan and Harry a successful, healthy birth and I hope some day I get to see my grandchildren" after her pregnancy was announced.
12
October 2020
Thomas Markle claimed he had suffered with a cold for FOUR YEARS as he revealed a list of illnesses - and warned his daughter's court case gave him "anxiety".
In a statement to the court, the dad said: "I am a realist and I could die tomorrow. The sooner this case takes place the better."
March 2020
Reflecting upon Megxit, he said she and Harry had abandoned the Queen in a crisis, just as they did to him.
Thomas then aged 75, said after their move to California: “They walked out on me when I had a heart attack. Everything she did to me, she has now done to the Royal Family.
“Yes, they will come to California and become A-listers – they will be welcomed in all the wealthiest people’s houses. But you cannot buy the honour that you have.
"There are people in the world who would pay millions of dollars to become a duchess and part of the Royal Family."
12
January 2020
Thomas Markle slammed claims that criticism of Meghan had been racist.
He told Good Morning Britain that any criticism was "justified" after she and Prince Harry preached about eco-travel.
Thomas admitted that he lied to Piers Morgan about Meghan and Prince Harry to make their image "appear better".
Thomas also admitted lying to Harry about posing for paparazzi photos which he staged in a bid to improve his image.
Also in January 2020 Thomas said he was "jealous" of Prince Charles walking his daughter Meghan down the aisle and said he "cried a little" while watching the Royal wedding on TV in Mexico.
12
January 2019
He admitted some mistakes but said his son-in-law needs to "man up and get over it" before he gets "louder" to the press over the estrangement.
December 2018
In an interview with Good Morning Britain, he revealed: "I've been trying to reach out for several weeks, every day I try to text [Meghan]."
Thomas added: "I've been ghosted. I'm not sure why it's happening. I love my daughter very much. I wish she would reach out, send me a text, anything."
12
What did Meghan Markle say about her dad?
Meghan opened up about father's "betrayal" by speaking to tabloids ahead of her mammoth wedding.
He annoyed her by staging several paparazzi photos earlier in 2018, and the former lighting director also took part in a string of damaging interviews.
Claiming his daughter has "cut him off", Thomas made a slew of hurtful comments, including likening the royal family to Scientologists because of their "cult-like" behaviour and claiming Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, would have "loathed" the way he was being treated.
The duchess told Oprah: "There was such an obsession about anything in my world, including tracking down my parents.
"And I did everything I could to protect both of them in that media frenzy,
"But for over a year, the UK tabloids were trying to find my dad, offering people so much money to try to find his address.
"Once they did, I remember being told there was a huge headline like, 'We found him' or 'We've got him.' You're talking about someone's father.
"And from that point, the tabloids, they moved into the apartment next door and across from him. Descended on this small town, which is giving him gifts. The whole thing brings us to where we are today."
12
Oprah then asked Meghan if she felt betrayed by her dad to this day.
She replied that she did not know if she was comfortable "even talking about that".
Meghan then added: "If we were going to use the word betrayal, it's because when I asked him, when we were told by the comms team, this is a story that was going to be coming out, which, by the way, the tabloids had apparently known for a month or so and decided to hold until the Sunday before our wedding because they wanted to create drama, which is also a really key point in all this.
The Duchess of Sussex said that Thomas replied he had "absolutely not" been speaking to the press when she called to ask about it.
"I said, you know, the institution has never intervened for anything for us, but they can try to go in and kill this story.
"But if they do this once, we're not going to be able to use that same leverage to protect our own kids one day," she said.
12
Oprah replied: "So he basically lied to you."
Meghan said she told her dad that she and Harry could help him if he told them the truth.
She added: "He wasn't able to do that. And that for me has really resonated, especially now as a mother.
"And also me saying just full stop, if we use this to protect you, we won't be able to protect our own children one day.
"Well, I'm talking about your grandchildren, so I can't — I mean, I look at Archie.
"I think about this child and I go I can't, I genuinely can't imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child."
12
Why wasn't Thomas at Meghan’s Royal Wedding?
Meghan’s dad was determined to attend her and Harry's nuptials in Windsor even after suffering a heart attack in the build-up to the big day.
The retired lighting director, who lives in Rosarito, Mexico, said medics had told him his heart was “seriously damaged”.
Meghan released an official statement via Kensington Palace on May 17, 2018, which stated: "Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.
"I would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support. Please know how much Harry and I look forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday."
12
Thomas underwent heart surgery on May 16 2018, which was reported to have been "successful" after surgeons cleared a blockage in his heart, repaired the damage and put in a stent.
The Sun revealed that Meghan had made a series of anxious phone calls to her dad checking on his progress as he recovered from surgery.
He revealed on GMB how upsetting the situation was, saying: "They were disappointed, Meghan cried I'm sure, she did cry.
"And they both said 'Take care of yourself, we're worried about you' and that the important thing was that I get better."
He made it clear that he was happy for Prince Charles to take his place at the ceremony, saying: "I can’t think of a better replacement than someone like Prince Charles.
"He looked very handsome and my daughter looked beautiful with him.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"I was jealous.
"I wish I’d been there - I wish it had been me - but thank God he was there and I thank him for that... It might have been a treat for him as he never had a daughter.”
LATEST ON MEGHAN MARKLE
Meghan Markle says dad 'betrayed' her and she can't imagine ever hurting Archie the way he hurt her
Topics