Meghan Markle: Family and Background - November 2017-May 2018

[Sunnystar]

Well yeah - I don't think I disagree with you on that. I don't know how KP or Meghan can solve this short of sending a representative to "help" Sr. But there is a risk there because he could still go to TMZ and claim the RF was trying to "control" him. Part of the reason why I'm so upset with Sr for talking to TMZ is because now he really cannot be trusted anymore by the BRF. He's made himself as radioactive and untouchable as his other daughter and son, Sam and Tom Jr..

Harry has spent his life hating the Paparazzi and how they have hunted his family, contributing to the death of his mother (some still say caused her death). And now Tom Sr does this. He worked intentionally with some and is now calling/conversing constantly with the other.

Does he have zero self awareness?

I get it that he probably doesn't get this - but he still put his needs and his upset over how he looked in the paps above his daughter. That's what set all of this off. Did that make him horrible? No - and if he had just shut his mouth and then gotten on the plane and walked his daughter down the aisle, all of this drama would have been avoided. Instead he tells TMZ he isn't going to the wedding (which is how Meghan found out) and then flip flopped and then had chest pains and then the surgery. If the surgery bit is true (which we don't necessarily know).

Also - I don't follow TMZ - but the clips were all over twitter. Hard to miss them.

Sometimes, at that age, parents DON'T have a lot of self-awareness, especially when they have other people reinforcing the bad choices, and it certainly sounds like Sam, at first, had some influence over Sr's choices (the fake photos with the paparazzo).

I don't know that I think he is entirely radioactive. It's all going to depend, I think, on where the truth lies in all the stories over the last few weeks, and both Meghan and Harry certainly know far more than the rest of us, I'd guess. What I will say is that the circle of trust has most certainly been violated and it will have to be slowly re-built with both Meghan and Harry. It can be done, and I fully expect that there will be some olive branch extended after the wedding. I don't see Meghan cutting her dad out of her life much beyond the level of involvement and contact they had prior to this PR disaster.

 

[Pranter]

Yes I knew some were charged but from what I understand those were dropped. A shame. At the least the photographers who took pictures while she was dying should of had something done to them...the indecency alone....



LaRae

 

[PtahHotep]

I don't know if I have been vetted to show links yet, but I can tell you this-----


I just read that John Cena has offered to walk Meghan down the aisle if her father doesn't show up. He was co-hosting the Today show with Kathie Lee (I think yesterday) when she suggested he would be a perfect stand-in for Markle Sr. He actually said he would do it.

"Yeah, I could do it. I could hop on a plane and be there in a few days."
Very noble of the man, I must admit.

Don't know whether to laugh or consider that seriously or whatever. ??

Anyway----just wanted to throw that out there.

 

[bekalc]

I fail to see what Mr. Markle did was so horrible. And I think the royal family or Meghan could have done more to help the guy. Megan is a millionaire. Apparently the man has been hounded by the press and he was told they would publish unflattering photos unless he gave them other photos.

Dianne staged photos with the paps all the time. He wasn’t staging photos of Meghan. The man never asked for any of this or to be in the public eye. So he wanted more flattering photos.

He has been tar and feathered as for telling TMC he won’t go and the heart sugery I can see why he would want to explain himself since the public will know. The family squabbles the constant media attention lead to this health stuff.

The man is not giving interviews discussing the private relationship with his daughter or anything like that he refused it.

His daughter and Harry do have responsiblities towards him and should have done more to protect the guy.

Calling him a terrible guy got the staged photos is ridiculous his mother did the same. And both parents went to private issues of the marriage. The father telling TMC he is having heart surgery hardly makes him unforgivable.

Remember Mr. Markle asked for none of this.

 

[bekalc]

And I will add this why is her mother and father the only two family members invited that is a lot for either them to go to wedding no no one. She has an Uncle who is a diplomat who helped her get a job why wasn’t he invited he is fairly respectable and celebrities in it could have provided needed support. Middleton’s crazy uncle was invited to her wedding and that reduced family issues. They created a lot of this by frankly snubbing her family.

 

[CTchic]

While I don’t agree with what he did, no one from the BRF will confront him, especially not Harry. For the simple reason that Meghan wants him there.

I did not phrase that well but what I should have said is he feared a confrontation with Harry and the BRF. He took the coward route out.

 

[Curryong]

And I will add this why is her mother and father the only two family members invited that is a lot for either them to go to wedding no no one. She has an Uncle who is a diplomat who helped her get a job why wasn’t he invited he is fairly respectable and celebrities in it could have provided needed support. Middleton’s crazy uncle was invited to her wedding and that reduced family issues. They created a lot of this by frankly snubbing her family.

We don't know who in the family has been invited besides Tom Snr and Doria. There are rumours of nephew, nieces, and an uncle on the Ragland side being in London. We won't know until Saturday. And the diplomat uncle gave contact details of Tom Snr to the media.

 

[jacqui24]

I fail to see what Mr. Markle did was so horrible. And I think the royal family or Meghan could have done more to help the guy. Megan is a millionaire. Apparently the man has been hounded by the press and he was told they would publish unflattering photos unless he gave them other photos.

Dianne staged photos with the paps all the time. He wasn’t staging photos of Meghan. The man never asked for any of this or to be in the public eye. So he wanted more flattering photos.

He has been tar and feathered as for telling TMC he won’t go and the heart sugery I can see why he would want to explain himself since the public will know. The family squabbles the constant media attention lead to this health stuff.

The man is not giving interviews discussing the private relationship with his daughter or anything like that he refused it.

His daughter and Harry do have responsiblities towards him and should have done more to protect the guy.

Calling him a terrible guy got the staged photos is ridiculous his mother did the same. And both parents went to private issues of the marriage. The father telling TMC he is having heart surgery hardly makes him unforgivable.

Remember Mr. Markle asked for none of this.

And his daughter asked for this the week of her wedding? Seriously? She’s the only victim here, so let’s try not to blame the victim. Tom made his bed, and now he has to lay in it. It’d be bad enough if he did it any other week, but literally DAYS before her wedding, she finds out from TMZ that her dad is not walking her down the aisle after it was publicly announced. Seriously, what has she ever done to him to deserve this type of treatment? Does he not have a responsibility to his daughter to tell her instead of TMZ?He’s the one that screwed up with the paparazzi and made Harry and Meghan look like fools for asking for his privacy. And then, he goes and humiliate his daughter further. He can hide in Mexico for the rest of his life, but she has to face her in-laws and the British people.

And Samantha did say that all the Markle were advised not to speak to the press by KP. If he wanted additional help and had trouble, all he had to do was tell his daughter. Doria was provided with security when the engagement announcement came. It wasn’t provided to him because no one knew where he was then.

And I will add this why is her mother and father the only two family members invited that is a lot for either them to go to wedding no no one. She has an Uncle who is a diplomat who helped her get a job why wasn’t he invited he is fairly respectable and celebrities in it could have provided needed support. Middleton’s crazy uncle was invited to her wedding and that reduced family issues. They created a lot of this by frankly snubbing her family.

Of all the family that we know isn’t invited, none of them has seen Meghan for YEARS. Why is she obligated to invite people that she has seen for years? Why should she even consider ever being in the same room as those that have threw vitriol her way in public every chance they get? They are not family at that point. They simply don’t have a relationship.

 

[King of the Jungle]

People are often hopeful that their family members over come any mental illness or personality disorders. Some Markle family members might offer compassion towards the ones acting so crazy and horrid and hold out an olive branch in the future.
Forgiveness is always a possibility, with families especially.

 

[Zaira]

And his daughter asked for this the week of her wedding? Seriously? She’s the only victim here, so let’s try not to blame the victim. Tom made his bed, and now he has to lay in it. It’d be bad enough if he did it any other week, but literally DAYS before her wedding, she finds out from TMZ that her dad is not walking her down the aisle after it was publicly announced. Seriously, what has she ever done to him to deserve this type of treatment? Does he not have a responsibility to his daughter to tell her instead of TMZ?He’s the one that screwed up with the paparazzi and made Harry and Meghan look like fools for asking for his privacy. And then, he goes and humiliate his daughter further. He can hide in Mexico for the rest of his life, but she has to face her in-laws and the British people.

And Samantha did say that all the Markle were advised not to speak to the press by KP. If he wanted additional help and had trouble, all he had to do was tell his daughter. Doria was provided with security when the engagement announcement came. It wasn’t provided to him because no one knew where he was then.

I think a good example of how to do something that isn't great is actually from the current docu-series on Serena Williams.

Her father pulled out of the wedding mere hours before he was to walk her down the aisle. He reached out to her, told her he loved her and why he just mentally and emotionally could not be there for her. It was awful and sad, but folks have stuff going on inside them sometimes. I can absolutely believe that in addition to the possible heart issues, Markle Sr has anxiety issues that would make such an event very hard for him.

All Tom Sr had to do was reach out and talk to his daughter. IMO, what has made this situation worse is the using the media as a way to communicate to his daughter. The photos were well-meaning, but dumb. The moves of a man who did not properly think through his actions although I have to believe they were done in love.

But what makes this situation so dastardly is the continued use of an outlet such as TMZ versus simply talking to his daughter and only his daughter and allowing her the ability to ensure this isn't disruptive to him or to the wedding, a national/global event. By this circus with TMZ he has not only made life hard on his daughter, but also for himself. One call to TMZ? OK, sure I guess I can see where in desperation he would take that call. But the 4-5 calls? At some point he is actively making decisions that are causing extreme pain to his daughter and has to be aware of the consequences of his actions.

There was a better path for him if the pressure was simply too much. He has thus far decided to not use it.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

Sometimes it's just best for oneself to cut the toxic people out of your life. It seems like Meghan has done that with her estranged siblings.

While I respect others opinion on this, I completely disagree with the idea that Meghan and Harry should've done more to help her father. Doria was clearly offered a lot of support and advice, which she accepted, and it has worked much better for her. I'm 100% sure Mr Markle was offered exactly the same, but most likely he declined. He thought he knew better.
And i don't think him talking to TMZ is excusable. He clearly wanted to get this image of himself out there, so he decided to handle it by himself. He just decided to do it few days leading to Meghan's wedding, and I don't think she crossed his mind once.

 

[Jacknch]

Please note that posts alluding to the car crash in which Diana was killed have been deleted along with posts containing images of Samantha Markle in hospital and subsequent responses. It is unacceptable and not within the spirit of the Forum to make such inferences or to to make sarcastic comments about anyone in a hospital, no matter what the circumstances are.

On another matter, new members are encouraged to introduce themselves in the Member Introductions - The Royal Forums thread.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

People are often hopeful that their family members over come any mental illness or personality disorders. Some Markle family members might offer compassion towards the ones acting so crazy and horrid and hold out a laurel branch in the future.
Forgiveness is always a possibility, with families especially.

Unless true remorse and sustained different behavior is exhibited by "the ones acting so crazy and horrid" there is no need to hold out an olive branch. I think hoping for a normal family relationship was a hope Meghan gave up years ago.

 

[bekalc]

How do you know the guy didn’t tell Meghan first he wasn’t coming. Him wanting nice pictures of himself by media who was going to take him anyways isn’t horrible. Apparently TMZ was sending him texts. Look people make mistakes. He apparently thought photos would help them was embarrassed and suffered a heartache and no he didn’t ask for the media frenzy.

If Diana and Charles can be forgiven for given interviews discussing intimate details on their marriage the Dad can be forgiven for taking a few photos of himself and if it was for money although some say it wasn’t about the money why wasn’t Meghan with her millions helping out. He can also be forgiven for saying go TMZ he was sick.

Megan’s sister writing a tell all book that’s something I get being reject but whatever Father did not so much.

In fact my understanding is Markle herself thinks the photos are stupid but not unforgivable.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

Tom SR himself said, that he didn't answer Meghan's calls and texts. He said this to TMZ.

 

[Osipi]

Woah. Keeping up with Markles is turning out to be a 24/7 job around here. Get a good sleep and one has to stockpile pots of coffee and snacks to get through all that's happened in just a short amount of time.

Samantha in the hospital after a car crash sounds like it has been totally fabricated. Chased by paparazzi? Should that really have happened, why is it that those same paparazzi seemed to be traveling without cameras? Where is the police report? It just seems odd to me that only very recently one of Sam's beefs was her dad being chased by paps. Now, they're after her. Perhaps to Samantha's logic, its the next part of the story. Also would "excuse" Sam from standing by the statement she made that she would be in London for the wedding come hell or high water. Personally, I think she had paparazzi car crashes on her mind since alluding to it with her father and decided to plant herself in a similar scenario. Anyone with an imaginative mind can figure out where she's going to go with this from here.

Tom Jr. and the Dooleys have every right to be wherever they want to be whether its Windsor, London or Timbuktu. If its any kind of a ploy related to Meghan, then its simply a pipe dream that they're going to have any kind of an effect on Meghan, Harry, the royal family or anyone else. The tabloids though are cackling all the way to the bank with these people. These estranged relatives will have as much effect on the royal wedding as the delinquents that were going around Windsor spraying "fork" graffiti wherever they could. It gets print space. Will it affect Harry and Meghan in the long run? Not a chance. One of the best advantages of that gilded castle complete with moat and piranhas and reinforced portcullis is that its pretty impenetrable and protected from assaulting hoards with suitcases.

Now, I'm going to pour me a large mug of strong coffee, grab a donut or three and go back and read thoroughly the opinions and news that's happened since my pillows called me to them.

 

[Elenath]

Tom SR himself said, that he didn't answer Meghan's calls and texts. He said this to TMZ.

There is a difference in not answering someone and not calling someone. The fact that he didn't pick up the phone doesn't mean he didn't call her afterwards.

From what TMZ has released I conclude Tom sr hasn't told them all that much. Seems more like a reporter asking him a question and he answered with yes or no.

There is a massive amount of speculation in this thread. We don't really know that much.
- We know he posed for some photo's;
- We don't know who's idea it was.
- We know Tom sr was ashamed and baacked out of the wedding;
- We know he told TMZ;
- We don't know if he told Meghan, first, last, if at all;
- We think he may have had a heart attack and he may have had surgery.
- News about the surgery may have come from someone else in the hospital (like Samantha or an employee)

Did I miss anything?

 

[bekalc]

He maybe didn’t because he was embarrassed due to the media making it sound like he was a horrible guy for the photo thing. It appears he immediately changed his mind which may be due to his Daughter saying she still wanted him there now he is sick.

I’m sorry but this guy maybe didn’t handle best but has been put under clearly huge stress he is apparently very reclusive. I think her sister is horrible but I don’t think the Father deserves to be tarred and feathered.


Whoopi Goldberg even said so the man wants flattering photos hardly makes him a bad guy I would want flattering photos.

 

[Osipi]

What I find totally unacceptable is the fact that Tom Sr., with having a heart procedure that clearly shows that all this stress and anxiety (along with not so healthy food choices), now is somewhere in Mexico or LA recuperating from this procedure and where is the rest of his family?

Well.... we have Tom Jr. courting the Daily Mirror and supposedly in Windsor posing with wedding memorabilia and his eldest daughter is actually using her father's situation to promote herself and her angst even more trying so very hard to draw the attention from Tom Sr. to herself to the point of possibly manufacturing a car crash and ending up in the hospital herself. Do I suspect a bit of Munchausen syndrome here? Yes. I do.

KP, Meghan and Harry and the rest that are gathered to celebrate this wedding on Saturday are doing what they should be doing. Focusing on the wedding itself, enjoying the company of beloved family and friends assembled for it and shutting out the "noise" that the estranged (emphasis on strange) family and the media are trying so hard to penetrate. Shutting out that "noise" comment that Meghan made in that Vanity Fair article has acquired a much deeper meaning in my book.

How Meghan and her father's relationship develops from here on out is actually just between the two of them and I almost can guarantee that it will *not* be played out in the press.

 

[Tamara77]

To SORT of agree with what you said------I was talking to my mother 2 days ago about this whole mess on our way to Red Lobster and I explained tat it seemed to me that Sam was behind a lot of this and seemed to be manipulating Senior. She sniffed and said----"He's a grown-a-s 73-year old man!!! How could he allow himself to be manipulated like that, even if Samantha is his daughter? That's crap!!!!!" ?

Like I said before, I am not condoning what he did. I am just willing to give him slightly more the benefit of the doubt than those two reprehensible Tweedledum Sam and Tweedledee Junior. But yeah, at the very least his inability to deal with this (perhaps even his pride) prevented him from reaching out for help, which then aggravated his weak heart condition. An opportunity to help his struggling finances just (apparently) seemed to him too good pass up. I just don't think he was trying to hurt his daughter maliciously like her two half-siblings.

Doria is said to be furious at him.

I just think a combination of the pressure, scrutiny and temptation he had never been exposed to before just did him in. Also he may have just listened to his daughter and son way too much. Plus the promise of easy money to repay his debts---and get good coverage---finally wore down the man. More of a tragedy of a good man proving weak under the pressure of temptation. TMZ is just using him by feeding him c--p about how they "care for him" and that they have his "best interests at heart." And like a dope he has fallen for it.

NOT on the level of the destructive forces that are the terrible twosome of you-know-who, still. And I risk being slammed for that. I understand.

This. Thank you!

 

[MARG]

Unless true remorse and sustained different behavior is exhibited by "the ones acting so crazy and horrid" there is no need to hold out an olive branch. I think hoping for a normal family relationship was a hope Meghan gave up years ago.

I believe you are right. From everything we have learnt about Meghan completely severing all contact with her siblings is like nails on a chalkboard. It didn't tally with the warm, loving, vivacious person her friends describe.

Over this last year and more Tom Jnr and Samantha have systematically tried to destroy their sister's life, love, and welfare with a hatred few of us have ever experienced or encountered. Their hatred is a living, breathing thing and if either of them were an the UK I would have serious concerns for Meghan.

Woah. Keeping up with Markles is turning out to be a 24/7 job around here. Get a good sleep and one has to stockpile pots of coffee and snacks to get through all that's happened in just a short amount of time.

Samantha in the hospital after a car crash sounds like it has been totally fabricated. Chased by paparazzi? Should that really have happened, why is it that those same paparazzi seemed to be traveling without cameras? Where is the police report? It just seems odd to me that only very recently one of Sam's beefs was her dad being chased by paps. Now, they're after her. Perhaps to Samantha's logic, its the next part of the story. Also would "excuse" Sam from standing by the statement she made that she would be in London for the wedding come hell or high water. Personally, I think she had paparazzi car crashes on her mind since alluding to it with her father and decided to plant herself in a similar scenario. Anyone with an imaginative mind can figure out where she's going to go with this from here.

Tom Jr. and the Dooleys have every right to be wherever they want to be whether its Windsor, London or Timbuktu. If its any kind of a ploy related to Meghan, then its simply a pipe dream that they're going to have any kind of an effect on Meghan, Harry, the royal family or anyone else. The tabloids though are cackling all the way to the bank with these people. These estranged relatives will have as much effect on the royal wedding as the delinquents that were going around Windsor spraying "fork" graffiti wherever they could. It gets print space. Will it affect Harry and Meghan in the long run? Not a chance. One of the best advantages of that gilded castle complete with moat and piranhas and reinforced portcullis is that its pretty impenetrable and protected from assaulting hoards with suitcases.

Now, I'm going to pour me a large mug of strong coffee, grab a donut or three and go back and read thoroughly the opinions and news that's happened since my pillows called me to them. [emoji3]

 

[Lady Reem]

I'm just tired of people infantilizing this man when Doria faced similar garbage and managed just fine.

Damage control (PR), maybe?

The real story(ies) is probably far much worse...

 

[Biri]

What's wrong with Noelle Rasmussen? Somebody here suggested that she shouldn't be invited because she belongs to some sect (apart from that she is reportedly not close to Meghan).

 

[Osipi]

I have come to the conclusion about all of this chaos and mayhem. There are two totally unconnected events going on here with a wide chasm between them.

We are following two different things here. One is the royal wedding of Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales to Ms. Rachel Meghan Markle on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Two, we are also following totally amusing and a "stay tuned to see what happens next" in a glorified soap opera pertaining to people that are definitely excluded from being anywhere near a royal wedding.

Reminds me of Kipling's "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,"

The more that happens, the more that is printed and the more opinions flow about how each side could have, should have, would have micromanaged the other side better, the more it separates the two different "camps" or factions into being it own unique, separate entity.

The decisions have already been made and stuck to and proceeding according to plan for this wedding (Tom Sr. or no Tom Sr.) and it will happen and be a glorious, historic wedding with a lot of happy smiles, cheers and congratulations.

No matter what anyone outside of this wedding circle does now, bleats about or furiously try to implicate "misdoings" or "blame" or even self righteous indignation, its its own separate entity that is disconnecting itself more and more from the actual wedding just by their own actions. It is this kind of 15 minutes of fame that will snuff out and its pertinence to a world wide view be forgotten once the need for it doesn't exist any longer.

 

[Tamara77]

I'm going to be honest. I was looking so forward to this wedding. I had really planned to use it as a diversion from real life dealings with two malignant narcissists who I have to deal with in an in-law situation. Others here have spoken of having to deal with the same within their own families or have friends that do. You have my sympathies and a big hug! It's going on 29 years now of battle for me, and you just learn how to cope and persevere, what works and what doesn't. Megan knows this all too well herself. You can try to have no contact, but these people are experts at drawing you out at times-esp. if they haven't decided they are through with you yet.

I have to deal with both of these narcissists this weekend. No matter what, I will watch this wedding and I will enjoy it. A pot of hot tea and scones and jam. And while I do, I will be praying and sending warm thoughts towards Prince Harry and Megan. There is a reason KP is behaving as they are. Megan knows best how to handle the beast that is her family, and Prince Harry knows how to use the palace machine to do what is necessary to move ahead with this wedding.
The best thing that could happen today is that KP release a few pictures of happiness from behind the scenes. That would draw attention away for a time from that awful Markle family and put the perspective back where it belongs. A positive spin would do wonders.

 

[JessRulz]

A few off-topic posts have been removed. Let's keep to Meghan's family - posts about the wedding specifically can go in the Wedding Sub-Forum.

 

[Madame Verseau]

This is the latest on Sr's condition

Meghan Markle left 'in tears' over father's staged paparazzi photos | Daily Mail Online

Meghan is in tears but holding up. The BRF feels sorry for Meghan and rallies behind her; but the Firm holds Sr. responsible for his role in PapGate and the wedding no show. Sr talking to TMZ can't be helping.

I think Sr is going to get Fergie-ed, declared persona non grata by the queen and banned from future family related events. I think the Markle family coat of arms is a no go after this. Meghan will still get her C of A.

 

[ACO]

Meghan confirms it herself. Well done. Now let’s ignore these silly Markles. Focus on the couple.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

Meghan releasing a personal statement, touching, but not too detailed was the way to go.

 

[ACO]

From Omid

"Sources say that Thomas told Meghan the news himself (citing medical advice as the reason) and that Harry and Meghan were both already in regular contact with him. Understandably Meghan remains concerned about her father and “it hasn’t been an easy moment for her.

That said, both Harry and Meghan are still excited for Saturday. Meghan has her mother and friends around her and the couple are looking forward to a joyful, magical and special day.

In light of comments made about how people have or haven’t handled this situation, it’s worth pointing out that Thomas has been offered the same level of support and practical guidance as Doria since 2016."