Thomas Markle......Meghan's father.

[Tolkienista]

Don't know if anyone saw the interview with Thomas Markle on GMTV Tues morning. It depicted a frail, emotional man who desperately wants to reconnect with his daughter and see his grandson too. Yes his life is complicated and he alluded to this time and time again .

He repeatedly acknowledged he's done wrong, in the many media interviews he's given and what struck me was a man who is living a lonely life and may not have many years to live and reconcile the differences he and Meghan have.

My cousin taught Meghan in her high school in L.A. and speaking to her last night she recalls Thomas Markle as "a funny, generous, witty man constantly helping out with school plays and musicals. He was generous with his time and the teachers and students loved him, especially Meghan"

I can't see any hope of a reconciliation the way things currently stand.

@caringcarer

I thought he brought his dd up when the mom walked out on them both. He worked long hours to make sure she had everything she needed growing up. He made a big mistake, but he has apologised several times and when he had his heart procedure and was in hospital and could not fly to give her away she cut him out of her life. If my Dad had been in hospital after a heart procedure I would have postponed my wedding no matter how big it was until he was out of hospital and could come to my wedding. But Meghan tells us she is kind and compassionate all around the world, just not to her family or Harry's.

@caringcarer

Where are you getting all that nonsense from?

Her mother never walked out on them. She took her daughter with her. We have no evidence he ever had a heart attack or was in hospital. The consensus is he made it all up.

I think you are wrong. He produced a letter from hospital telling him not to fly. I think he had same procedure with stent that Prince Philip had done. I have read in several papers that her Dad brought her up after mum left. Meghan has not taken these papers to court for false information which we would probably do if not true.

Meghan has not taken these papers to court for false information which we would probably do if not true

I don’t think so. I don’t think she wants to burn bridges with her dad. She is very hurt and upset from him but her court case was about the press..

She doesn’t want to expose more vulnerability about her family that would allow more people to shame her for her dad being a compulsive liar or an abuser.

Victims of abusive parents don’t necessarily want them exposed.. that’s not how it always works..

It is certainly not always self serving to expose a parents flaws to a society that is ready to vilify your for your background !

Perhaps if he shut up and stopped giving interviews, selling stories to the press and showing private correspondence things might be different

But it's fine for Meghan and Harry to do this? They may use slightly different channels like Oprah and setting up their own press photoshoots when they decide they want publicity, but it's pretty much the same thing. Like father like daughter.

@caringcarer

I think you are wrong. He produced a letter from hospital telling him not to fly. I think he had same procedure with stent that Prince Philip had done. I have read in several papers that her Dad brought her up after mum left. Meghan has not taken these papers to court for false information which we would probably do if not true.

Thomas had his heart problems long after the time he was supposed to be in the UK. He was supposed to be doing his fittings in London days before. MM submitted the text in court where they were begging and asking him why he had not come.

He had stent and was released from hospital the next day. Not like Philippe, but the usually 30 minutes procedure and overnight observation - yes he did produce that, the dates show he spent one night in hospital.

But told not to fly in letter.

www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1184915/meghan-markle-royal-news-feud-thomas-markle-doria-ragland-royal-family-duchess-sussex-spt

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6475385/Thomas-Markle-produces-medical-bills-prove-conclusively-not-one-TWO-heart-attacks.html

I knew I read she lived with Dad and he had heart problems.

I feel sorry for him. By all accounts he was a generous loving father who may have become unstuck once thrown into the crazy media whirlpool.

@caringcarer

But told not to fly in letter.

He was told that long after he was supposed to be in the UK.

Sorry, don't read Daily Hail links.

I think he's handled it badly and can't blame Meghan for feeling upset. That said I can't get a handle on what the hell went on here.

Up to getting into acting anything I heard has sounded fairly normal. Parents broke up they shared custody, had periods of having her live with each of them... like lots of families.

Then something has happened so that she's cut off from the sister and brother - up to at least her being a teenager/young woman she associated with them given the photo of her at her sisters graduation.

Then she married Trevor and mum was at that wedding but was the dad/siblings?

Then guess she was in contact with the dad as he's walking her down the aisle for the wedding with Harry. And here it becomes for me a bit weird.

Harry doesn't meet him but does meet the mum - well maybe that was logistics etc but wasn't it that he was to fly over a few days before the wedding - he's about to walk his daughter down the aisle in front of millions and sit opposite the Queen of England - wasn't there some fore thought about that? I'm trying to imagine my dad just turning up to this mad world where he's sitting a few pews down from George Clooney and all the attention and not prepping him?

Yes the selling pics of him trying a suit on (he wasn't literally buying his own suit was he?) etc was in poor taste but not a hanging offence or so terrible that after 30 odd years you'd cut him off? Esp when he ends up in hospital - something is so odd about it that there must be more to it but it's not clear and given the Markle's will talk and given Meghan is keen to set the record straight it's surprising it hasn't unless there is nothing else. It really is at it has appeared.

Of course then giving the letter to the mail etc ramped it all up but has this really all been about a guy who stupidly admittedly let himself be pictured reading a book about the royal family sitting in a cafe?

Of course then giving the letter to the mail etc ramped it all up but has this really all been about a guy who stupidly admittedly let himself be pictured reading a book about the royal family sitting in a cafe? It's all very odd. Maybe Meghan was ashamed of him? She didn't realise that the Royal family aren't snobs.

I think basically her family don’t pass muster. Doria is ok (but still kept a bit at arm’s length) but her df, her half-siblings and her dm’s family just wouldn’t fit in with royalty and Hollywood stars.

Frankly neither would some of my family. Years ago dsis and I used to joke about if either of us married Prince Andrew how would we stop Uncle Ron and Auntie Pam with fags in their mouths coming to the royal wedding with our jailbird cousins in tow....

@IrmaFayLear

I think basically her family don’t pass muster. Doria is ok (but still kept a bit at arm’s length) but her df, her half-siblings and her dm’s family just wouldn’t fit in with royalty and Hollywood stars.

Frankly neither would some of my family. Years ago dsis and I used to joke about if either of us married Prince Andrew how would we stop Uncle Ron and Auntie Pam with fags in their mouths coming to the royal wedding with our jailbird cousins in tow....

Irma My DF was one of the loudest most potentially embarrassing men ever. He once slapped Prince Charles on the back. Would I have dreamt of not having him at my wedding? Not in a month of Sundays.

I dont talk to my mum and I won’t ever. If I had a choice of talking to my mum or taking a bullet to the head id choose the bullet.
Everyone says my mum is generous kind and caring. No one knows what I’ve been through behind closed doors.
So what if Megan doesn’t want to talk to her dad. You know nothing of what’s happened and she has every right to cut him off if she feels that way.
Dont always feel sorry for an alienated parent, sometimes they damn well deserved it.

*Harry doesn't meet him but does meet the mum - well maybe that was logistics etc but wasn't it that he was to fly over a few days before the wedding - he's about to walk his daughter down the aisle in front of millions and sit opposite the Queen of England - wasn't there some fore thought about that? I'm trying to imagine my dad just turning up to this mad world where he's sitting a few pews down from George Clooney and all the attention and not prepping him?

Yes the selling pics of him trying a suit on (he wasn't literally buying his own suit was he?) etc was in poor taste but not a hanging offence or so terrible that after 30 odd years you'd cut him off? Esp when he ends up in hospital - something is so odd about it that there must be more to it but it's not clear and given the Markle's will talk and given Meghan is keen to set the record straight it's surprising it hasn't unless there is nothing else. It really is at it has appeared.*

H went to the US and wanted to meet both Doria and Thomas. TM made excuses not to meet, but Doria was available.

MM produced some txt messages in court that show that TM was supposed to come early and be set up and prepared for the wedding. The plan was for inmates to be driven to California and set up at a hotel, then fly to the UK. Be set up there and do the suit fitting etc. But he did not want any of that. He had also been offered a person come and help him with dealing with the media since before the wedding. He refused that as well. He then ghosted them as he was on the newspaper payroll.

Seems like he is the one who was ashamed of himself. Now, the pull of the money from he media makes him less so.

MM asked him to come out clean and he lied to her. That impact she describes here on this clip

*inmates = him.

a strange autocorrect.

So what if Megan doesn’t want to talk to her dad. You know nothing of what’s happened and she has every right to cut him off if she feels that way. Fair enough but Meghan has cut two whole families off.

@derxa

So what if Megan doesn’t want to talk to her dad. You know nothing of what’s happened and she has every right to cut him off if she feels that way. Fair enough but Meghan has cut two whole families off.

Why are you insisting that your relationship with your family must also apply to Meghan's relationship with hers? So you wouldn't dream of not having your dad at your wedding. Whoop de do. I wouldn't let my brother near my wedding if he crawled over a mile of broken glass as penance. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks family relationships should be, what's right for you isn't automatically right for everyone else.

Why are you insisting that your relationship with your family must also apply to Meghan's relationship with hers? So you wouldn't dream of not having your dad at your wedding. Whoop de do. I wouldn't let my brother near my wedding if he crawled over a mile of broken glass as penance. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks family relationships should be, what's right for you isn't automatically right for everyone else. You're right. However I'm saying that Meghan has cut two families out of her life and that's unusual.

@derxa

Why are you insisting that your relationship with your family must also apply to Meghan's relationship with hers? So you wouldn't dream of not having your dad at your wedding. Whoop de do. I wouldn't let my brother near my wedding if he crawled over a mile of broken glass as penance. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks family relationships should be, what's right for you isn't automatically right for everyone else. You're right. However I'm saying that Meghan has cut two families out of her life and that's unusual.

I've cut contact with my brother, which I mentioned. My H has cut family members out of his life too (aunts and an uncle in that case). My BIL hasn't seen his mother in years, neither have the rest of his siblings. All for very good reasons - I won't go into the ins and outs of it on a public thread - but trust me, it wasn't for not cutting toast into triangles or anything trivial like that.

I think people having to cut contact with family is more widespread than you think, you've just not personally experienced it. Ime it's not something you do lightly and can be a long journey to get to that point.

[quote JingsMahBucket]@Mookie81 they were divorced pretty soon after Meghan was born. Thankfully Doria was able to escape that shit show and protect her daughter by raising her in a loving family.[/quote]
What "loving family"?
Meghan stayed with her her mother until she was 11. Then Thomas won the lottery. Meghan moved in with him.

She's not changed much. And we don't hear much of Doria now....

I think people having to cut contact with family is more widespread than you think, you've just not personally experienced it. Ime it's not something you do lightly and can be a long journey to get to that point.
But two whole families being cut out is unusual you must admit.

@derxa

I think people having to cut contact with family is more widespread than you think, you've just not personally experienced it. Ime it's not something you do lightly and can be a long journey to get to that point. But two whole families being cut out is unusual you must admit.

Bit unusual but considering how dysfunctional both families seem to be, I'm not exactly surprised. But I don't think you can apply "oh my father is loud and boisterous" to the situation of someone who's had to cut relatives out. You can say you wouldn't do it but until you're in that situation, you can't know.