Meghan Markle’s strained relationship with her father has drawn significant media attention in recent years. The father-daughter pair have remained out of contact, with the Duchess of Sussex reportedly restricting her father’s access to his grandchildren due to their rift.
Meghan Markle, now a part of the British royal family through her marriage to Prince Harry, shares two children with him. While she maintains a close bond with her mother, Doria Ragland, her relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, took a different turn, resulting in a well-publicized estrangement.
Meghan Markle on September 17, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Meghan and her father used to have a warm relationship. In a 2021 interview, Thomas shared an emotional memory of his daughter’s birth in 1981, noting that he was the first to hold her. “I fell in love with her and I’d been that way for 40 years,” said the Pennsylvania native who has two older children from his first marriage.
Meghan also reflected on her childhood in an essay for Elle magazine and revealed her parents met in the late ’70s. Her father worked as a lighting director for a soap opera, while her mother was a temp at the studio.
Meghan Markle on the set of “Deal or No Deal,” 2006 | Source: Getty Images
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After marrying in 1979, the couple moved to an affordable, tree-lined neighborhood in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. Despite the close-knit bond she shared with both parents in her early years, Meghan’s family life shifted when her parents divorced in 1987.
Meghan Markle attends the DPA pre-Emmy Gift Lounge on September 18, 2009, in Beverly Hills,
As she grew up, the public figure pursued a career in acting, eventually crossing paths with Prince Harry in 2016. Yet, in the midst of her rising success and high-profile relationship, her father made a mistake by entertaining the media which later contributed to the strain in their relationship.
Amid Meghan and Prince Harry’s engagement in 2017, Thomas faced health issues, including a heart attack just days before the wedding in May 2018. He shared that stress, partly due to his eldest daughter’s public remarks against Meghan, worsened his condition.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on November 27, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
After a brief stay at a hospital in Mexico, Thomas expressed concerns about his health, fearing he might suffer another heart attack. During that same period, news broke that he wouldn’t attend the wedding and his ill-health was partly the reason why.
Just ahead of the ceremony, Meghan announced in a statement from Kensington Palace, “Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding.” As a result, Thomas missed the opportunity to walk his daughter down the aisle though he felt her mother was a good choice to do the honors.
Meghan Markle on her wedding day on May 19, 2018, in Windsor Castle. | Source: Getty Images
In his absence, then Prince Charles ultimately walked Meghan down the aisle. Reflecting on this, Thomas expressed his appreciation saying, “I certainly couldn’t have asked for a better replacement. Although, I would love to have done that.”
King Charles III walking Meghan Markle down the aisle in
In addition to his health woes, the father of three missed the wedding following backlash over staged photos he sold to a photo agency. He explained that he hadn’t intended to harm Meghan or the Royal Family, but was frustrated with paparazzi who had repeatedly caught him in unflattering situations, often misrepresenting him.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving St George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018, in Windsor, England. | Source: Getty Images
Thomas divulged that he had declined high-paying interview offers since Meghan started dating the prince. He accepted a smaller fee from a photo agency, hoping the images would improve his public image. However, he later admitted the photos looked “stupid and hammy” and expressed regret over his decision.
Thomas’s secret collaboration with a British paparazzo for staged photos caused embarrassment for the Royal Family ahead of the wedding, especially after Prince Harry’s earlier pleas for media restraint.
