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

[Empress Merel]

Originally Posted by Zaira

Don’t celebrate Piers too much. He has done his fair share to fan the flames.

A broken clock is twice a day. Every so often he says something that makes sense. Not that often, but occasionally it happens

[Curryong]

Something certainly seems to have got Samantha steamed up in the last few hours. She was as nice as pie about Meghan on Australian breakfast TV this morning. Unfortunately I don't believe KP's jurisdiction stretches to US citizens, so it wouldn't do any good. I can well believe there are a few mental issues there.

[Missy-]

Originally Posted by O-H Anglophile

Not just money, she also wanted the attention--she wanted to be famous too.

When I talked to her it was pretty obvious that she knew nothing about Meghan, all she wanted to talk about was her own daughter and how they didn't get along and why. That was over a year ago, she seems to have moved on from that and now is loving the attention and the money. Speaking of money, I'm sure the IRS will be interested to see how much she's made this year talking, she'd better be really careful to report every cent, I think people will be watching.

Have to head of to work now, bbl.

[Tamara77]

I'm going to ask a question here, and I'm asking this in a very gentle way.....but do you all think that if Meghan and Harry could isolate Mr. Markle Sr. away from the rest of his family, set him up in better accommodations near them both and get him the care (mentally and physically) that he needs, that would end all of this? Is there any hope for this idea? I just think after this is over with, he'll be used up by the media and his awful daughter Samantha and Tom Jr, and cast aside......lonely with no one to care for him.

[Missy-]

Originally Posted by Tamara77

I'm going to ask a question here, and I'm asking this in a very gentle way.....but do you all think that if Meghan and Harry could isolate Mr. Markle Sr. away from the rest of his family, set him up in better accommodations near them both and get him the care (mentally and physically) that he needs, that would end all of this? Is there any hope for this idea? I just think after this is over with, he'll be used up by the media and his awful daughter Samantha and Tom Jr, and cast aside......lonely with no one to care for him.

Honestly, this is just what I've been wondering. I think that would be a fine move, and would take the wind out of the sibs sails. I think Tom Sr might have been angling for that when he started down this path, but now it's gotten totally out of hand. Ok, now I really do have to go. Have a good day all, hopefully a more peaceful one on the H&M front.

[Ista]

I've been thinking a lot about Tom Sr., especially why he spoke out now instead of just holding his peace and letting all the negative stuff flow by, and why he chose TMZ as his vehicle. A lot of us on this forum have been blasting him for those choices, and I think he deserves a lot of blame for being indiscreet, and, to use FashionMaven's words, self-absorbed.

But, while it seems obvious to long-time royal watchers why he should have kept his lips zipped, and why what he did is so outrageous and unforgivable, if his first time exposure to the ins and outs of best practices for handling the press from a royal perspective is when his daughter becomes engaged to a member of the BRF, then I can (kind of, if I squint really hard)see how he made such a monumental mess of everything.

To be clear, I'm not excusing him. But there's the "Royal World" which those of us on these forums spend time on, and then there's the real world. I know from talking to friends and family members who do not share my interest in all things royal, that a lot of the ins and outs of why things are done a certain way by royal families, or why something is shocking or bad form, completely fly right by them. It's not just that they aren't interested, it's that it genuinely doesn't seem like a big deal to them.

So, from that perspective, it's possible that until he had already put his foot in it Tom Sr. didn't really grasp why he shouldn't have made a deal for staged shots, or exactly why talking to TMZ was such a dreadful idea. He's 73, not everyone of that age would have any idea that TMZ has such a terrible reputation--a 72 year old relative of mine certainly didn't, until I told her.

So again, not in any way excusing him, it's more that I'm trying to make sense of why he would suddenly make a series of such terrible decisions, and trying to balance that with the fact that we know that Meghan has considered him a loving dad.

[JuliannaVictoria]

Originally Posted by Tamara77

I'm going to ask a question here, and I'm asking this in a very gentle way.....but do you all think that if Meghan and Harry could isolate Mr. Markle Sr. away from the rest of his family, set him up in better accommodations near them both and get him the care (mentally and physically) that he needs, that would end all of this? Is there any hope for this idea? I just think after this is over with, he'll be used up by the media and his awful daughter Samantha and Tom Jr, and cast aside......lonely with no one to care for him.

That would be a good idea. However, I don't think Mr. Markle would want to move to the U.K. I think the best scenario is to get him into proper accommodations with a companion/care giver. I'm not talking about a retirement home, but he needs to be around people who will not take advantage of him, who will support him and who will protect him.

I have to say that I have a foreboding feeling about him. Samantha won't stop until someone is seriously hurt, and I think in this instance, she may unpurposely hurt her father beyond repair. In this scenario, this would be the end of her publicly and privately.

[Pranter]

Even if Harry/Meghan were willing...as long as Tom Sr has his full control of his faculties, even if he needs help he can reject it.


LaRae

[Zaira]

Originally Posted by Ista

I've been thinking a lot about Tom Sr., especially why he spoke out now instead of just holding his peace and letting all the negative stuff flow by, and why he chose TMZ as his vehicle. A lot of us on this forum have been blasting him for those choices, and I think he deserves a lot of blame for being indiscreet, and, to use FashionMaven's words, self-absorbed.

But, while it seems obvious to long-time royal watchers why he should have kept his lips zipped, and why what he did is so outrageous and unforgivable, if his first time exposure to the ins and outs of best practices for handling the press from a royal perspective is when his daughter becomes engaged to a member of the BRF, then I can (kind of, if I squint really hard)see how he made such a monumental mess of everything.

To be clear, I'm not excusing him. But there's the "Royal World" which those of us on these forums spend time on, and then there's the real world. I know from talking to friends and family members who do not share my interest in all things royal, that a lot of the ins and outs of why things are done a certain way by royal families, or why something is shocking or bad form, completely fly right by them. It's not just that they aren't interested, it's that it genuinely doesn't seem like a big deal to them.

So, from that perspective, it's possible that until he had already put his foot in it Tom Sr. didn't really grasp why he shouldn't have made a deal for staged shots, or exactly why talking to TMZ was such a dreadful idea. He's 73, not everyone of that age would have any idea that TMZ has such a terrible reputation--a 72 year old relative of mine certainly didn't, until I told her.

So again, not in any way excusing him, it's more that I'm trying to make sense of why he would suddenly make a series of such terrible decisions, and trying to balance that with the fact that we know that Meghan has considered him a loving dad.

Sorry, but no. I think it’s less knowing the ins and outs and more just common sense. My mom doesn’t follow the royals at all, had no inkling of them other than “the red head is marrying a lovely black girl” and when this was covered by her local news (yup, it’s getting a lot of coverage), she called and was like “but why is he talking to the media? That doesn’t make any sense. Call your daughter!”

I think folks are not giving Tom enough. The man isn’t stupid. It doesn’t take an insider or royal watcher to know you do not talk to the press. And KP definitely would have made that clear.

I do think KP should have taken him in hand sooner. If they knew he was “struggling” with the attention, why not fly him out early to have him get settled and be protected? I still stand by my belief that the resistance to these possible acts of assistance came from Tom himself...

[AlowVera]

There are 55+ active living retirement communities that will offer privacy and care. The only problem is his family. It was his brother who alerted the media to where he lives. Before that noone knew where he was for almost a year. Hopefully he knows that their are no hard feelings so that he does not continue to talk to TMZ. I think that he really did not want to go to the wedding in the first place.

[Cocoasneeze]

I think it would be extremely short sighted, and rewarding Samantha, to have Meghan call her, and beg her to not trash her in public. Why? So Samantha could see, that her words have effect? So she could say, that the last time she spoke with Meghan was actually 2018? Right now Samantha has shown what she is: A jealous vulture trashing her sister to everyone listening. She's getting called out more and more, and soon won't have anyone interested hearing anything she has to say.

Meghan and Harry are dealing with her and the rest of the Markles like they should. By ignoring them.

I also disagree, that Meghan and Harry lack any depth, like many in their generation (?!). Meghan has been very active in charity work from when she was a teenager, all through her life. She's been very active in giving back. Same goes for Harry. I don't know where and how they have shown any lack of depth. So respectfully I disagree with that idea.

[Winnie]

Originally Posted by JuliannaVictoria

That would be a good idea. However, I don't think Mr. Markle would want to move to the U.K. I think the best scenario is to get him into proper accommodations with a companion/care giver. I'm not talking about a retirement home, but he needs to be around people who will not take advantage of him, who will support him and who will protect him.

I have to say that I have a foreboding feeling about him. Samantha won't stop until someone is seriously hurt, and I think in this instance, she may unpurposely hurt her father beyond repair. In this scenario, this would be the end of her publicly and privately.

Oh heavens, I don't think moving Mr Markle to UK would be a wise decision at all. First the customs and ways would be foreign to him and at his age he really doesn't need. Also, Sammy and Jr. would make a huge deal out of visiting DADDY and then insisting on a media interview to give their opinions. Just that image hurts my head. It is really up to him where and when he want to live. He moved to Mexico for a reason and I am sure that reason still is valid. Hell with those two children, I would probably now be living in another country also. If, in fact, someone is seriously hurt in some way thru all this, sweet Samantha will make sure that it is 100% Meghan's fault and all this malicious crap will start over with media jumping on the band-wagon and handing out thousands to Sam and Jr., which is exactly what they want anyway.

[wyevale]

I don't think moving Mr Markle to UK would be a wise decision at all.

After this week he'd be a good deal 'less than welcome' tbh..

[Zaira]

I agree. I am such a big supporter of Harry and now Meghan and was sooo happy about this wedding but the last four days have been absolutely exhausting. But really, the media in general with this couple has been rabid in a way that IMO superseded even Will and Kate. The press should be ashamed of their antics since this relationship began.

I just want to get to Friday when we see all of the arrivals at the hotels and the party really starts

[Elenath]

Opinion piece in the NYT.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/o...imes&smtyp=cur

[soapstar]

Why do people think Tom Markle needs to be taken care of? Nothing I've seen leads me to believe that he needs to be put into assisted living.

I know there is this narrative that he's some recluse that lives in Mexico, but he owns a home in Los Feliz (a really nice area by the way) that he was seen visiting last week. I imagine he divides his time between the two places. I also remember reading that he visits his brother in Oregon during the winter months. So he may lead a quiet life, but he has in no way shut himself off from the world.

I know everyone wants to blame Sam for this, but it was Tom that made the decision to announce to TMZ that he wasn't attending the wedding. He didn't even have the decency to call his daughter and let her know first. Then after his decision causes all kinds of chaos, he proceeds to spill the family business to TMZ two more times. You could maybe make the case that the first call was him being naive (which I don't buy), but by continuing to talk to TMZ, he knew what he was doing and what kind of fallout would result. Yet he did it anyway. Tom is a grown man and it's a copout to blame his decisions on others.

Sam is a piece of work and really just needs to go away.

[M. Payton]

Go to bed and come back and wow, Sam is at it again, does this woman ever sleep or what.

Honestly think that Sam is so full of jealousy that she is now becoming the *actress* that she wants to be. The media is giving her their full attention and even if everyone turns on her, heck they are still giving her attention and that is feeding her soul right now. She has our attention here even if she does not know about this forum, she has the world watching her every move, dying with bated breath what she will say and do next, the media paying her big bucks (she will never tell what she is making), KP sending her a letter to shut the hell up, she has the world right in the palm of her hands and she is reaping the befits and enjoying every morsel of it......

LOl, I have her number for I have seen it before in someone else.......LOL.

Sam is not done yet, come Sat she will pull out something else in her bags of tricks to take away the attention from Harry and Meghan on their wedding day and make it her day.....and as I said earlier I have lots of baloney to eat if I am wrong.......should she get an Oscar for her performance?

Sam is really trying to become Meghan, dyed her hair dark, wearing pearls yesterday.....she is so full of herself it is pathetic so see this woman make such a speckle of herself.....sad in many ways also for her children to see their mother act this way!

[JuliannaVictoria]

Originally Posted by AlowVera

They cannot isolate him from that family but they can remove the immediate threat of the paps from hounding him. The other problem will be what other plans does Sam have up her sleeve. I fully believe she was the mastermind behind the pap scheme.

Oh trust me when I say I believe that she was completely behind the pap set up of her father. Again, karma! That's all I will say.

[duchesschicana]

Here are some comments I found interesting

@NancyLeeGrahn
Holy #royalwedding ! I just realized that awesome Tommy Markle, our sweetest lighting director for yrs at #gh is #MeganMarkle's dad? I never made the connection. Who'd a thunk it? Big bear Tommy is walking his princess down the aisle on Saturday. How cool is that?

dshbaird 4 Special Affair 0 #Anti 28 minutes ago

I once worked with "Tommy" on Married With Children,General Hospital, and Facts of Life.
He was a patient, humble, down»to—earth man, and talented Director and Photography and
Lighting Director. He was the type of guy who, if the light board operator made an obvious
mistake, would get on the PL and make it seem as if the error was his. His fellow workers,
including cast, crew, and producers absolutely adored this giant teddy bear of a man. He
has a good soul and LOVED that little daughter of his so much that he took on extra work to
make sure she had the best start and best education he could provide. Don'r be so quick to
judge on appearances, SA.

I’ve been interviewed by reporters before, and they get things wrong and omit key interchanges. The reporter undoubtedly phrased the question in terms of it being an historical event, and so he could have been simply responding to that leading question. People do that all the time, the reporter puts words and ideas in their heads. He might have talked more personally about his daughter, but that was not reported. Not the spin they wanted.

Based on my experiences with media, I wouldn’t scrutinize what TMZ reported too closely. It may be incomplete or even misquoted.

Also consider the possibility that the guy is now taking meds that make him a tad chattier than usual…. If he recently had a heart attack and is facing surgery, he may also be very anxious and that can make some folks very talkative, especially with someone who has taken pains to be cast as a sympathetic ear. I remember a friend the night before his surgery to replace a plastic heart valve (congenital heart problems), he was bouncing off the walls and talking non-stop. I think any sedative he was given had the opposite effect!

We also don’t know if this guy has also been communicating with his daughter or his ex.

[M. Payton]

Originally Posted by FashionMaven

Exactly. There is a ton of envy in Samantha's actions. I think she originally just wanted to destroy Meghan's chance with PH - hence her initial posts attacking Meghan and trying to besmirch her name when the news first hit of Meghan/Harry dating came out. She befriended a lot of the tumblr haters of Meghan during that time and retweeted racist tweets attacking Meghan.

Then when it became obvious that Meghan/Harry were for the long haul and the engagement news dropped, Sam tried desperately to change her tune. Then she tried to "be on her best behavior" - I think she thought KP telling the family (including her) not to talk to the press meant that she'd get an invite. So she continued to try to clean up her image.

Then she got snubbed (truthfully she was never going to be invited anyway). The gloves came WAY back off and Sam basically went off the deep end. Whether she was involved in PapGate with Tom Sr is unclear - but her trying to front as though she did it is 1) her trying to get back in front of the press and 2) her sending a message to Meghan that SHE destroyed her happiness - even if only temporarily.

The only way to treat someone like that is to ignore them. Completely. Go on as though they don't exist - especially in royal circles. That's what Sam will hate. Being a non-entity to Meghan and the BRF.

Sometime after the wedding - Sam will just be a hateful, jealous footnote in all of this. Sure - she might get some play in the US for a while, but eventually once everyone realizes she doesn't know Meghan at all, that's a wrap for her.

She can't hurt Meghan anymore - all her cards are played. The only card she has left is Tom Sr - but he's got his own problems and will have to work hard to prove that he deserves to be in his daughter Meghan's life after this horrible mess he created. The pap pics could have blown over if he'd just let it go and gotten on the plane to go to the wedding without any further comment to the press.

But he didn't do that. He's too self absorbed. That's why all of this happened. He was mad he looked like a bum in the pics the paps took before all of this. According to Sam - he was warned by KP not to talk to the press. They all were. Pretty sure he was warned by KP and Meghan how invasive the press could get. But he's mad over some beer he bought and a toilet? He had to set up PapGate to rehab his image?

LOL - no! All he had to do was dress a little better and be more presentable. The other pics would have been forgotten.

He should have taken Meghan's stance and avoided reading what the press - who lies - wrote about him. He could have easily talked to Doria who could have told him how to act. He didn't.

Because he's self absorbed. He cared about how this made him look. And even now, he only wants to go to the wedding to be part of history - it feels like Meghan herself is an afterthought.

Throw the whole paternal side (except for the Hales) away.



I know a lot of folks will think this statement is harsh - but I understand what you mean. Meghan is marrying into an institution and you are right - her first duty is to Britain and the BRF now. It sounds totally harsh - but it is.

I think that Doria fully understood what this meant and acted accordingly. She's been a beacon of class, restraint and poise throughout all of this. Even when the paps were smearing her as raising Meghan "Straight Outta Compton" and in the "ghetto" when that was so far from the truth, she never did anything like what Tom Sr did.

Never.

I get being sympathetic to Tom Sr (I was at first and thought he'd been duped). But he's compounded one bad decision with several others. Why? Because he seems to only be concerned with how HE looks in all of this - to hell with how Meghan looks or how his actions impact her.

If he can be taught - then teach him. Otherwise, keep a wide berth.

Yes - the paps can be invasive. But he could have solved all of this by just shutting up, showing up on the day of looking fabulous in his clothes and walking her down the aisle. He chose instead to stage pics, and then publicly air his grievances to TMZ rather than talk to his own daughter.

I don't know if he can be helped - but maybe he can be trained to understand why the best response is to simply ignore - or if he really felt badly - he could have asked for help from KP in engaging with a reputable press agent (like a major news network) to do a PR piece to rehab his image. But he never asked! He went to a tabloid instead.

If someone can get ahold of him and make him stop spiralling downward - maybe they can convince him of the right channels to go to for rehabbing his image.

I wish he'd have waited until after the wedding to "rehab" his image. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut, refuse to speak to the press and be a good father to Meghan.

Your comment is *Absolutely Brilliant* and every word is on point....I totally agree with you and Thank you for saying it better then I could have.