Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Winter Shoe Trends
    • Perfume Necklaces
    • Kathy Hochul and Adrienne Adams
    • Bouclé
    • Statement Red Socks
    • Angel Reese
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Meghan Markle's Dad Just Compared the Royal Family to a Cult

    Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Markle, compared the royal family to a cult in his latest interview. Thomas has consistently alienated himself from the royal family since missing the royal wedding in May.

    By Kayleigh Roberts
    Published 18 August 2018 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Prince Harry visit to Cardiff Castle
    (Image credit: WPA Pool)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Today in horrible things Thomas Markle says, Meghan Markle's 74-year-old father has compared the royal family to a cult. Because that's a surefire way to win over your estranged in-laws?

    In his latest interview, Thomas talked to The Sun (and also maybe did a photo shoot? But nothing he does can surprise us at this point, right?) from his home in Rosario, Mexico.

    RELATED STORY

    Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Attend Anzac Day Services

    (Image credit: Getty images)

    The Royal Family Is In "Crisis" Over Thomas Markle

    "They are either like Scientologists or the Stepford family. If they hear anybody say anything they just lock the doors. They need to speak up!" he said. "They are cult-like — like Scientology — because they are secretive. They close the door, pull the shades down and put their fingers in their ears so they don’t have to hear."

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    This latest blast against the royal family comes after an interview with the Daily Mail (which, for what it's worth, Thomas insisted would be his last interview ever), in which Thomas admitted to lying to and then hanging up on Prince Harry in the wake of his staged paparazzi photo scandal.

    "I’m not mad at Harry. I’m not mad at Meghan," he said at the time. "I love them. I wish them well. But as for the rest of it, f*ck it. I’m done."

    You may like
    • A headshot of Meghan Markle wearing gold earrings, with a serious expression Meghan Markle Responds to the "Sickening" Allegations Against Her Father
    • Meghan Markle, in a cream dress, looking down and talking to Queen Elizabeth, wearing a green dress Queen Elizabeth Once Suggested the Help of a Family Mentor for Meghan Markle
    • Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has red hair and a short beard and wears a suit and tie and attends the Kyiv Security Forum, in Kyiv on April 23, 2026 Prince Harry Refuses to "Pull Focus From the Royal Family"

    Clearly, Thomas is not done, of course. After the photo scandal, Thomas missed the royal wedding, officially citing health issues (although, some sources close to Meghan claim those were faked as well). Since then, he's given several tell-all interviews which have reportedly (and completely understandably) put a great deal of strain on his relationship with Meghan and the rest of the royal family.

    The only cure for this rift is probably public silence and private apologies from Thomas, but that doesn't seem likely any time soon.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Explore More
    Meghan Markle Thomas Markle
    Kayleigh Roberts
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

    Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

    Read more
    A headshot of Meghan Markle wearing gold earrings, with a serious expression
    Royals Meghan Markle Responds to the "Sickening" Allegations Against Her Father
    By Kristin Contino
    Meghan Markle, in a cream dress, looking down and talking to Queen Elizabeth, wearing a green dress
    Royals Queen Elizabeth Once Suggested the Help of a Family Mentor for Meghan Markle
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Prince William wearing a blue suit and tie
    Royals One Royal Tried and Failed to "Broker Reconciliation" With Harry and William
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Christmas
    Royals Meghan and Harry Will Focus on One Relative This Christmas
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Princess Diana wearing a red plaid blazer talking to fans
    Royals Princess Diana Delivered a Brutal Comeback About Her "Boyish" Haircut
    King Charles wearing sunglasses and a tan suit
    Royals One Member of the Royal Family Keeps King Charles "Sane," Says Royal Expert
     
     
    Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling waving and smiling in her wedding dress riding in a car
    Royals Harriet Sperling Shares Royal Wedding Details for the First Time
    Queen Camilla laughing in a white dress
    Royals Queen Camilla Couldn't Stop Laughing During "Royal Rain Gate"
     
     
    Latest in News
    Zoë Kravitz wore a gold backless look by Saint Laurent at the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards
    Celebrity Style Zoë Kravitz's Saint Laurent Look Is Bold and Backless at the 2026 CFDA Awards
    Princess Diana wearing a red plaid blazer talking to fans
    Royals Princess Diana Delivered a Brutal Comeback About Her "Boyish" Haircut
     
     
    King Charles wearing sunglasses and a tan suit
    Royals One Member of the Royal Family Keeps King Charles "Sane," Says Royal Expert
    Inde Navarrette was spotted after hosting Saturday Night Live in Adidas's take on the windbreaker trend and track shorts
    Celebrity Style Inde Navarrette Elevates an Adidas Track Suit with Heels and a Dior Bag
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.