The key facts
- Meghan said that in 2018 she learned of
- Thomas Markle denies the allegations
- Relations had cooled even before the 2018 wedding; after her father's operation in the Philippines at the end of last year Meghan wrote to him
Statement by the Duchess of Sussex
The Duchess of Sussex Meghan issued a statement in which, for the first time, she explained the reasons for her estrangement from her father, Thomas Markle. According to her, back in 2018 — apparently after her wedding to Prince Harry in May of that year — she was told of
The story of the cooling of relations
The BBC's royal affairs correspondent Johnny Diamond notes that by the time Meghan and Harry's engagement was announced in 2017, the once-close relationship with her father had already cooled. Thomas Markle, who moved to Mexico after retiring in the United States, actively communicated with the media before and after the 2018 wedding. A few days before the ceremony he withdrew from participation, citing heart surgery; at the same time, according to the BBC, what appeared to be a paid photo shoot took place, while he claimed that journalists were pursuing him.
Years of silence and speculation
In the following years, Markle regularly gave interviews, complaining that he did not communicate with his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, and claiming that his daughter had hardly called him during his heart surgery — while the Duchess's representatives said the opposite. Meghan did not comment on the estrangement, and, as the BBC writes, theories filled the information vacuum: that she was ashamed of her father, or that the couple cut off contact because of leaks to the press. These versions, according to the correspondent, became part of the criticism of the Duchess — as if she were willing to sacrifice anyone for the sake of her reputation.
Limited contact and reaction
Since 2018, contact between Meghan and her father has been extremely limited: at the end of last year she wrote to him after the operation he underwent in the Philippines. The BBC notes that the Duchess's supporters may see her statement as a justification, but it is hard to assess how this will change public perception of Meghan — many have long made up their minds, and the conflict with her father is only part of the broader story of her relationship with the royal family.
Image source, Getty Images 