‘Cruel’: Thomas Markle begs daughter Meghan in ‘final interview’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been urged to move Archie and Lilibet back to London or face legal action by Meghan Markle’s father in California.
Royals
Don't miss out on the headlines from Royals. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Thomas Markle suggested he could take legal action against daughter Meghan, and Prince Harry, for access to Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2.
In what was dubbed his “final interview”, the 79-year-old said he was “heartbroken” at not having met his royal grandchildren and that, after suffering a stroke, he was running out of time.
“This is a cruel thing to do to a grandparent, to deny the right to see a grandchild,” he said through stuttered speech.
“In California, I can actually sue to see them, but I don’t want to do that,” he said. “The other thing is I’ve done nothing wrong. There’s nothing that points to me, says I’m a bad guy.”
Mr Markle made the stunning suggestion in an interview with Good Morning Britain, adding that the pair were living like recluses in a big house in Montecito and denying their children a healthy upbringing.
“They don’t see anybody, they don’t go anywhere, it’s not good for the kids. It’s bad for the kids,” he said.
“She and Harry should take the kids, go back to England and give the kids their rightful place among the royals and give their kids some exposure.”
In the US state of California, a judge can order grandparent visitation in limited cases. According to California Courts, there would need to be an existing bond that made the child’s best interest to see the grandparent outweigh the parent’s rights to make decisions.
“As a matter of fact, I’m a really loving father and she knows that, and there’s no excuse to treat me this way.” Mr Markle said. “No excuse to treat grandparents this way.”
The pair became estranged after Mr Markle posed for tabloid photos in the lead-up to the royal wedding in 2018, and they haven’t spoken since.
Pressed on why his daughter maintained the distance given the “unserious” cause of the falling out, Mr Markle said still had no idea to this day.
“As far as the thing I’m accused of, turns out I was set up for that. And set up to ruin the wedding, it was a ploy … I was a victim,” he said.
During the Netflix series Harry & Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex went on to say her father’s continued media interviews and criticisms of the royal family became a “problem that needed to be solved”.
Mr Markle, who divorced Doria Ragland in 1987, said his daughter was unrecognisable from the girl who lived with him from the sixth grade to high school.
“I never saw the kind of woman she turned into. I am shocked. She is not the person I knew as my daughter,” he said, adding that he didn’t blame his son-in-law for their fraught relationship.
“I think she has an influence on Harry more than he does on her,” he said. “I am always here for her. I still love her. I’ll love her forever. That will never change, but I want her to reach out to me and let me see my grandkids and let me have a little peace.”
Anticipating time running out as he approaches his 80th birthday in July, Mr Markle used the TV interview to plead and beg his daughter to forgive him before he dies.
“Let me see my grandkids, and let me have a little peace,” he said.
“People go to prison for five years and they’re forgiven. I didn’t do anything. So forgive me, I guess,” he said. “I would always apologise for anything I’ve done wrong. I’m sorry if I have.”
More Coverage
‘Get lost’: Wild Charles scenes at Opera House
There were mixed opinions from Sydneysiders on Tuesday as King Charles visited the city.
Thorpe’s ‘breach’ called into question
Questions linger about what should happen next after independent senator Lidia Thorpe screamed at King Charles in an incident that made international headlines.