Meghan Markle and her father Thomas no longer have a relationship (at least that we know of), in large part because of Thomas' collaboration with the tabloids around the time of his daughter's wedding.
Both parties want people to think that they were the hurt one in this scenario, and their stories contradict each other to an extent. While we don't know what exactly is true and what isn't, Meghan has at least been more discreet in the media, while Thomas has made a habit of saying things publicly that might hurt his daughter.
For royal commentator Roya Nikkhah, pushing his side of the story is exactly what Thomas has done again via Tom Bower's bombshell biography Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors.
"He's clearly spoken at great length to Thomas Markle, and you get much more of an understanding from Thomas Markle's point of view of Meghan's upbringing, the time she spent with her father," Nikkhah said on Royal Beat (via Express).
"Because of course the relationship that is now portrayed as very close is the one between Meghan and her mother, whereas actually for great periods of her childhood and her teenage years, she was living with her father, and Doria wasn't around so much.
"So I think Thomas has used the book as a sort of platform to try and reestablish his side of the narrative."
In Revenge, Thomas paints himself as a loving father who would have done anything for Meghan. "It was love at first sight," he recalled saying when she was born.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Bower writes, "During Meghan’s first weeks her father redecorated the family bathroom in their comfortable three-storey house in Woodward Hills with angels and fairies. 'The look on his face was priceless,' recalled Tom Junior, his son from a previous marriage. Watching Thomas hold Meghan, Tom Junior could see his father was smitten: 'My dad was more in love with her than anyone else in the world and that included Doria. She became his whole life, his little princess.'"
It was, according to Bower and Thomas Markle, only after Meghan met Harry that things soured between the father and daughter.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Anne Hathaway Details the "Gross" Audition Request She Once Endured
"Now we know better."
By Meghan De Maria Published
-
The Emotional Ending of 'Baby Reindeer,' Explained
Netflix's latest miniseries from Richard Gadd is based on the true story of the comedian and his stalker.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
The Must-Visit Hair Colorists in New York City
I trust these talented colorists implicitly.
By Sophia Vilensky Published
-
Will Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Appear in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Two New Netflix Series?
Filming for both shows—about polo and cookery—began this month.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Yes, That’s Meghan Markle’s Calligraphy on American Riviera Orchard’s Logo
Everything having to do with the lifestyle brand seems personal to the Duchess of Sussex.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle’s New Netflix Cookery Show Begins Filming Today—But Not Where You’d Expect It to Be Shot
The Sussexes are having a busy week this week, shooting both of their his-and-her Netflix shows and rolling out the first product offering for Meghan’s new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle’s Lifestyle Brand American Riviera Orchard Reveals Its First Product Offering
Fifty samples were sent out in the company’s first limited edition run of the item.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle Thinks Prince Harry Is "Making a Big Mistake" in Wanting to Reach Out to William, Kate: Source
She's worried he'll get hurt again.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
King Charles “Desperately” Wants the Sussexes to Join Him at Balmoral This Summer
The castle in the Scottish Highlands, independent of a potential Sussex visit, is undergoing a major change starting this summer.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Officially Announce Two New Netflix Series, Both In the “Early Stages” of Production
One show focuses on one of Meghan’s primary hobbies, while the other goes behind the curtain of one of Harry’s foremost passions.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle Feels Princess Kate Should Have Had Her Back as a Fellow "Outsider," Says Expert
Meghan doesn't want to repair their relationship, supposedly.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published