Thomas Markle, who has never met Meghan Markle’s children Archie and Lilibet, says he fears he may now never meet his grandchildren.
Thomas Markle, 82, said he learned about the couple’s reported move by watching the news rather than hearing from his daughter directly.
Meghan Markle ’s estranged father, Thomas Markle , says he feels “hurt and upset” that his daughter and Prince Harry are reportedly returning to the UK with their children without introducing him to his grandchildren. He has never met Harry or his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet. “I saw on CNN that they were returning to England. Security has also been a longstanding concern for Harry. He has repeatedly argued that his family would not be safe in Britain without police protection, and his legal battle over his security arrangements has continued since his move to the US.
I found out about it at the same time as the rest of the world,” Thomas told The Daily Mail on Sunday.
Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020 after announcing that they would step back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family. Harry was subsequently stripped of his honorary military titles and royal patronages in 2021. Harry discussed his experiences within the monarchy in his memoir Spare, while he and Meghan spoke about their lives as working royals during their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Harry’s memoir Spare, released in 2023, became a major commercial success, selling more than 1.43 million copies across the US, Canada and Britain on its first day.
The couple’s reported plans were not discussed during their meeting with the King earlier this year, one person familiar with the decision said. They later signed a deal with Netflix and released the six-part documentary series Harry & Meghan, in which they discussed their experiences within the royal family and their decision to step away. Buckingham Palace representatives declined to comment on the reported move, while a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan did not respond to requests for comment, according to The New York Times.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to move back to Britain in the coming weeks, according to two people familiar with the decision. The children have been enrolled in a school in Britain and are expected to begin classes in September, according to one person familiar with the couple’s plans. The move would mark their return to the country they left after stepping back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family. Harry and Meghan are expected to remain private individuals and non-working royals after returning to Britain. Their exact residence has not been disclosed, but they are not expected to move back into royal accommodation. Archie and Lilibet have spent most of their lives in the US. Their relationship with the royal family has remained strained. The couple’s relocation to America also marked a major shift in their professional lives. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
King Charles III was reportedly informed about the decision on Sunday, according to The New York Times.
His relationship with Meghan deteriorated in the lead-up to her 2018 wedding after he posed for paparazzi photographs. He said the couple’s reported return to Britain has left him fearing that he may never get the opportunity to meet his grandchildren.
Reflecting on his relationship with Meghan, Thomas said, “Meghan used to love me, she was always a daddy’s girl, and now it’s like I don’t exist. “I have never met my grandchildren, and now they are leaving America,” he said. “I hope they know how much I wanted to meet them,” he added. Thomas said he had hoped Meghan and Harry might visit him while they were living in the US. Now they are leaving, that hope has gone,” he said. Despite their estrangement, Thomas said he still loves his daughter. “I will never stop loving my daughter but I will never understand why she turned her back on me,” he said.
“One day those kids will ask about their ‘other’ grandfather – the one who isn’t King – the one that Meghan and Harry are apparently ashamed of. “While they were in the US, I always hoped they might come and see me. Thomas’s eldest daughter and Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, also spoke about their father’s recovery, saying, “I’m really proud of dad’s progress. Every day is a blessing. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly set to return to the UK with their children, Archie and Lilibet, after nearly six years in the US. The comments come as Prince Harry and Meghan are reportedly preparing to return to Britain with their two children after nearly six years in the United States.
Meghan has not spoken to her father since then.
“I’m hurt and upset that she doesn’t give a damn about me, even though I’m in hospital,” he added. Thomas is currently recovering at a rehabilitation centre in the US after having his left leg amputated below the knee. He underwent the amputation in December after developing a potentially fatal blood clot while living in the Philippines.