Why did Thomas Markle and Meghan fall out? – The Sun

08/03/2021

MEGHAN Markle opened up about her relationship with her father, Thomas, in her latest interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Meghan said her outspoken father lied to her about talking to the British press – a "betrayal" that she just can't "reconcile".

What did Meghan say about her father in her interview with Oprah?

The Duchess of Sussex opened up about her relationship with her father Thomas and said she was left feeling crushed when he lied to her about not talking to the media.

It is the first time Meghan has publicly discussed her dad, who she has not spoken to since before her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018, and often times she's looked "uncomfortable".

Thomas, an ex-Hollywood lighting director, has spoken about her daughter’s relationship publicly and described their decision to walk away from the royals as embarrassing.

Their relationship soured in the run-up to their 2018 Windsor Castle wedding, when he admitted agreeing to stage pictures of himself.

Meghan was asked if it felt like a “betrayal” when she found out her dad was working with the Press, and replied: “I’m trying to decide if I'm comfortable even talking about that."

“It was… if we were going to use the word betrayal.”

Meghan added: “Because when I asked him, when we were told by the comms team, this is a story that was going to be coming out, which, by the way, the tabloids had apparently known for a month or so and decided to hold until the Sunday before our wedding because they wanted to create drama, which is also a really key point in all this.

“We called my dad and I asked him and he said, no, absolutely not.

“I said, you know, the institution has never intervened for anything for us, but they can try to go in and kill this story.

“But if they do this once, we're not going to be able to use that same leverage to protect our own kids one day.”

Oprah then said: “He said no, absolutely not. He hadn't been talking to them. So he basically lied to you.”

Meghan added: “Well, and so when I said we won't be able to protect our own kids one day and I said, so I just need you to tell me.

“And if you tell me the truth, we can help. And he wasn't able to do that. And that for me has really resonated, especially now as a mother.”

What is the history between the two of them?

1981: Meghan wrote about her dad creating a set of Barbie dolls for her Christmas present. She wrote in Elle Magazine: "On Christmas morning, swathed in glitter-flecked wrapping paper, there I found my Heart Family: a black mom doll, a white dad doll, and a child in each colour. My dad had taken the sets apart and customized my family."
1987: Her parents divorced. She lived with her mum, Doria Ragland, but she spent lots of time with her dad, who was a lighting director and director of photography on a Fox sitcom.
1990: Thomas won the California State Lottery. He invested some of his money but spent a vast amount on his children. He paid for tuition at the Catholic high school Immaculate Heart in Los Angeles.
2016: Thomas declared bankruptcy of over $30,000 in 2016 and Meghan reportedly offered to help. An unnamed source told People: "She has paid many of her father’s bills over the years.”
2016: Meghan told Thomas about her new boyfriend. Thomas said, “Well, the first phone calls [about Prince Harry] were, ‘Daddy, I have a new boyfriend.’ And I said, ‘That’s really nice.’ And then the next call was like, ‘He’s British.’ And I said, ‘Well, that’s really nice.’” And eventually, the third time around was, ‘He’s a Prince.’ And at that point she said, ‘It’s Harry.’ And I said, ‘Oh. Harry! Okay,’” he continued.

2017: Meghan and Harry are engaged. In a BBC interview Meghan said how happy her family were and that her dad had spoken to her husband-to-be over the phone. Thomas said the engagement was a turning point and he was being stalked by paparazzi.
November 2017: Kensington Palace released a statement on behalf of Prince Harry's new in laws saying how happy they were.
April 2018: Photos of Thomas 'preparing' for her nuptials were shared widely. The most popular was a picture of him in a coffee shop in Rosarito reading a book on British history. Others included him being fitted for a suit and working out.
May 2018: The Daily Mail alleges the photos were staged and the photos allegedly sold for £100,000. Samantha, Meghan's half sister, claimed she was behind the pictures. She wrote: "The bad press over my father doing staged photos is my fault. The media was unfairly making him look bad so I suggested he do positive photos for his benefit and the benefit of the Royal Family. We had no idea he would be taken advantage of. It was not for money @KensingtonRoyal.”
May 2018: Thomas admitted to faking the pictures and also said that Prince Harry had called him at the time about them. He has later admitted that he lied to Harry about staging the photos. He said that Prince Harry told him: "“Harry told me that I should never go to the press. That it would end in tears. He said, ‘They will eat you alive.’ He was right.”
May 2018: Thomas Markle suffers his first heart attack. It was up in the air over whether or not he would be attending the wedding. Later on in the month Meghan announced he would not be attending.
August 2018: Thomas claimed that Prince Harry called him after the heart attack and said the Duke said: "If you had listened to me this would never have happened." Thomas claims he replied: "Maybe it would be better for you guys if I was dead… then you could pretend to be sad." and then he hung up.
May 2018: Meghan and Harry get married

July 2018: Thomas reveals he is no longer on speaking terms with Meghan because he did a Good Morning Britain interview. He said he wanted to share his story because the press "beat him up every day".
October 2018: The palace reveals that Meghan is pregnant.
December 2018: Thomas claims he has been frozen out. He told the Mail on Sunday that he made "dozens of attempts" to contact Meghan. He then speaks to Good Morning Britain again, claiming he had been 'ghosted' by his daughter.
February 2019: Meghan's friends reveal the existence of a letter she wrote to Thomas. A friend claimed, “After the wedding she wrote him a letter. She’s like, ‘Dad, I’m so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father. Please stop victimizing me through the media so we can repair our relationship.’ Because every time her team has to come to her and fact-check something [she has said], it’s an arrow to the heart.” He wrote her a letter in reply and it allegedly closed with him requesting a photo op with her.

May 2019: Archie Mountbatten-Windsor is born. Thomas has still not met his grandson.
July 2019: Thomas is not invited to Archie's christening.
August 2019: Thomas said he had never met Prince Harry
October 2019: Meghan sues the Mail on Sunday over publishing her and Thomas' letter.
January 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan announce they are stepping down from the royal family
January 2020: Thomas reveals his side of things in a Channel 5 documentary.

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