Of complicated family relationships, perhaps the one that exists between the Duchess of Sussex and her father is one of the most commented. This is all you need to know about it.
As Meghan Markle became part of the royal family, her father, Thomas Markle, stayed at her retirement home on the Mexican beaches of Rosarito. The reason? Although the official justification was that she needed to take care of her health since she had suffered a heart attack in the previous days, another very important factor played a role. Weeks earlier, a scandal had come to light: Thomas had sold personal photos to the paparazzi. And it was here that we realized something: the relationship between Meghan Markle and her father is complicated.
“Sadly, my dad will not be attending our wedding. I've always cared about him and I hope he has the space he needs to focus on getting him out. I would like to thank everyone who has offered me generous messages of support," explained the now Duchess of Sussex in a statement prior to the wedding. Now, let's get to the facts. What do we know about the history between Meghan and her father?
Her parents met at the end of the 70's, while he was working as a lighting director for a soap opera and she was assisting in the filming studio. In 1981 they welcomed their first daughter and moved to the San Fernando neighborhood in Los Angeles. When Meghan was six years old, her parents divorced. And, although she lived with her mother, the former actress has stated that she spent much of her childhood between recording sets helping her father.
When Meghan started acting, she stated that because of her experience in the industry, her father always had the best advice for her. It wasn't until she landed the lead role in Suits and left Los Angeles that the estrangement began. Around this time, Thomas retired and moved to a beach house in Rosarito, Mexico.
In 2016 he declared bankruptcy, a statement that came loaded with criticism of Meghan for not supporting her father. While her half-siblings said that she had turned her back on her, other sources claimed that she was the one helping pay her bill. This same source stated that, although many blamed money as the main reason for their estrangement, it was just a normal father-daughter relationship, with ups and downs.
The weeks leading up to the wedding were, without a doubt, the most public and stormy of their relationship. Her official role would be to walk down the aisle with her daughter and hand her over to her future husband. The events leading up to the wedding not only prevented her from playing this role, they also meant that the meeting between Thomas and Harry, who have not yet met in person, was delayed. And perhaps this meeting is increasingly far from happening.
With the birth of the first son of the Dukes of Sussex, some thought that the tensions between Meghan and her father might decrease and that the arrival in the world of little Archie would be a good reason to meet again. However, attempts at reconciliation by Thomas Markle have been unsuccessful.
This means that, for now, the father of the protagonist of Suits will not know her grandson, because, as a source close to the Duchess told the British media, she only wants to protect her son and that he be surrounded of good influences. "Meghan is of the opinion that there is no place for her father or the rest of her family in her life at the moment. She has built a strong and close family around Harry and their newborn son and has been very clear that she only wants influence." positive for their son Archie"
