Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has issued a heartfelt plea to his daughter ahead of his upcoming 80th birthday on July 18.
The 79-year-old, who hasn’t spoken to Meghan in six years, admitted that while he doesn’t expect to hear from her, he longs to meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, or at least receive a photograph of them.
The bitter feud between Meghan and her father began before her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, when Thomas was caught staging paparazzi photos.
Since then, the pair haven’t spoken, and Thomas has yet to meet his royal grandchildren.
“I would love to meet my grandchildren, but I would be happy with a photograph at this stage,” he told the Daily Mail.
Thomas also expressed his disappointment in not hearing from Prince Harry, saying, “I wish we could have worked this situation out. I was always ready and willing to do that.”
He questioned why Harry, with all his resources, has never made an effort to meet him, asking, “What man gets married without meeting his wife’s father?”
The estranged father also took a dig at the royal family, noting that both he and King Charles are in the same boat when it comes to being denied access to Archie and Lilibet.
“They have two grandpas who want to see them, one of whom is the King of England,” he said.
“I never in my 80 years thought I’d be in the same boat as the king.”
Meghan opened up about her broken relationship with her father during her bombshell 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“I grieve a lot,” she said, adding, “I mean, I’ve lost my father. I lost a baby. I nearly lost my name. I mean, there’s the loss of identity.
“But I’m still standing, and my hope for people in the takeaway from this is to know that there’s another side.”
The former Hollywood lighting director explained that as Archie and Lilibet grow older, they will start asking questions and realize all the things they have missed out on due to Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal life.
He believes it’s only a matter of time before the children seek answers.
Thomas, who admitted he never expected to reach 80, especially considering his own father passed away at 61, said that while he’s proud of his accomplishments in life, the last six years have been overshadowed by the ongoing family drama.
“I’ve never been one for birthdays, but I know the one person I most want to hear from, Meghan, won’t be in touch,” he lamented.
The strain on the father-daughter relationship began when Thomas was accused of collaborating with paparazzi to stage photos ahead of Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
He was set to walk Meghan down the aisle but pulled out last minute, citing heart surgery due to the stress of the situation.
The relationship further deteriorated when Meghan accused her father of leaking a private letter she had written to him after the wedding.
She spoke of her heartache at the alleged betrayal in the couple’s tell-all Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan.”
In the docuseries, Meghan described herself as a “daddy’s girl” growing up, but also recalled feeling lonely as a child and wanting more people around after her parents’ divorce when she was six.
Harry chimed in, saying, “If Meg wasn’t with me, then her dad would still be her dad.
“She had a father before this, and now she doesn’t have a father. And I shouldered that.”
As Thomas Markle Sr. approaches his 80th birthday, he remains hopeful for a reconciliation with his daughter and the chance to meet his grandchildren.
However, with the years of silence and the ongoing rift between the Sussexes and the royal family, it remains to be seen if this birthday wish will come true.
