Thomas Markle reveals grief at not meeting royal baby Archie in extraordinary attack branding Meghan and Harry ‘hypocrites’
DISTRAUGHT Thomas Markle has told of his grief at not being allowed to meet his royal grandson Archie - and slammed Meghan and Harry as "hypocrites".
In an extraordinary attack on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Mr Markle also accused his daughter of lying about paying her way through university.
Speaking from his home in Mexico for the first time since Archie was born in May, Thomas, 75, told the : "There was never any problem between Meghan and me until recently.
"I've stayed quiet because Meghan was pregnant with Archie but I'm speaking out now because they and their PR people are continuing to ghost me out of her life.
"Of course I'm disappointed not to see Archie.
"I had hoped becoming a mother would mellow Meghan and she would reach out."
He added: "I would like them to send me a picture of Archie so I can frame it and put it on my wall beside the one of Meghan.
"Isn't that what any grandfather would want? I'd love to know if he's got the famous Markle nose."
BITTER FEUD
His furious comments come as the bitter rift between himself and the royals - sparked before his daughter's wedding - widens further.
Thomas and Meghan, 38, have barely been in contact since he was caught staging paparazzi photographs - for which he's repeatedly apologised.
He was later forced to miss the royal wedding after suffering two heart attacks just days before the ceremony - leaving him bed-bound in hospital.
Frustrated Thomas said: "All I'd like to ask people is, 'How would you feel if your father had a heart attack?'
"I texted them [Harry and Meghan] from my hospital bed and told them where I was. I have the texts to prove it.
"Yet never once has Meghan ever asked me how I'm doing. Not then, not since."
'HYPOCRITES'
And he blasted the eco-preaching royal couple for their "hypocritical" approach following their private jet scandal.
Meghan and Harry, 34, took at least four private jets this summer - all while lecturing the public on saving the planet by cutting emissions.
Thomas fumed: "I feel sorry for them in a way because they brought this on themselves.
"You can't say one thing and do another.
"Everyone raves about how gracious and wonderful they are, but they are not wonderful to their own family. That's hypocritical.
"You can't portray yourself as being charitable and bringing people together and then ghost your own father and your entire family.
"Their treatment of me has left a lot to be desired.
"I've still never met my son-in-law. Why couldn't Prince Harry have got on a plane and flown to see me to ask for her hand?
"He obviously has no problem getting on private jets."
MEGHAN'S 'LIES'
Thomas is most distressed by Meghan's claims that she funded her own university tuition - which he vehemently denies.
In her first major speech as a royal, the Duchess told students at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji last year that she used financial aid to see her through her studies.
But Thomas insists he paid "every penny" of Meghan's $200,000 (£165,000) tuition at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Meghan had told the students: "The journey of higher education is an incredible, impactful and pivotal one.
"I am also fully aware of the challenges of being able to afford this level of schooling for many people around the world, myself included.
"It was with scholarships, financial aid programmes, and work study from my earnings from a job on campus that went directly towards my tuition that I was able to attend university, and without question it was worth every effort."
I paid every penny of her tuition and I have the bank statements to prove it
Thomas Markle
Responding to her claims for the first time - having refrained because of her pregnancy - Thomas insisted her story was "completely untrue."
He added: "I paid every penny of her tuition and I have the bank statements to prove it.
"I paid for her trips to Spain and England. I paid for her internship in Argentina.
"I told Meg I would pay for her education and I did. It's what any father would do.”
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Thomas added that he is fed up waiting to be forgiven by his daughter and Prince Harry - saying: "I'm sick of the lies. I'm sick of being vilified and shut out of their lives."
But despite the bitter acrimony, Thomas still holds out hope that the feud could be put to rest.
He said: "No father deserves this kind of abuse when he's been that good to his daughter.
"Ask anyone who knows us both. I've been very kind and generous to my daughter.
"I believe all family differences can be resolved and I believe that can still happen for me, Meghan and Harry.
"I always hoped that I would be as close to Meghan's child as I was to her when she was a child."
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