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

[Leopoldine]

I wonder what the official Royal strategy is for dealing with the outspoken members of her family. I'm sure there's a plan.

It might be to let them rant and rave for a few months until the common tabloid press sense boredom and disinterest in their readership. By wedding time, they might cease to be an interesting source for insight.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by American Observer7

You all,

Meghan's relationship with her relatives close or distant are none of our business whatsoever and KP should not have even posted the comment they did. It's not their business either!

If Meghan has issue with what Meghan said or meant, that is for her to address with Harry in private as well as her mother and father if they have issue with whatever he said and meant. It's not our business, not KP and not the media.

By that definition, Meghan was none of our business during the time they were dating as she was a private individual. Yet we discussed her on a daily basis for the past year.

I have no problems with leaving private family members alone and not discuss them or speculate on them much. I was appalled when paparazzi harassed Doria and Tom Sr. As they clearly had no desire to speak to the press about their private lives or relationship with their daughter. However, her half siblings have made the choice to open themselves up for public scrutiny. That’s their choice purely. If they had taken the same strategy as Meghan’s parents, I’d agree with you. However, I’m not understanding why we can’t discuss it if they’ve discussed it publicly. You can’t invoke privacy when we are stating facts they put out there themselves. We know they haven’t talked for almost 10 years because Samantha chose to put it out there that last time they were together was in 2008. And KP didn’t comment on her family, they said Harry’s statement speaks for itself.

Originally Posted by Leopoldine

I wonder what the official Royal strategy is for dealing with the outspoken members of her family. I'm sure there's a plan.

It might be to let them rant and rave for a few months until the common tabloid press sense boredom and disinterest in their readership. By wedding time, they might cease to be an interesting source for insight.

There isn’t much they can do until they get into territory of defamation. And unfortunately calling your sister names is an opinion and not fact. And hopefully people will see, by the lack of contact, that they have no insight to Meghan or her life.

[Cocoasneeze]

I don't get how this is between Meghan and her estranged siblings, and should be dealt between them in private, when Samantha and Meghan haven't been in any contact for nearly a decade, and Samantha was one of the worst Meghan attackers when the dating news became public. Meghan hasn't had a need or want to be in contact with Samantha for 9 years, and Samantha has felt the need to gives tens of interviews about Meghan, many of them degrading and insulting about Meghan. But somehow Harry's comment about 'family she never had' and KP responding 'Harry's words speak for themselves.' Were out of line, and it should be dealt with privately? I'm confused as why. Why should Meghan now contact Samantha when she hasn't done so for years and years?

Same goes for Tom Jr. He hasn't spoken with Meghan for 6 years, but for some odd reason Meghan should reach out to him now? Why?

[Dman]

Meghan: Volunteering at Skid-Row at 13-
Meghan Markle volunteered on Skid Row when she was 13 | Daily Mail Online

[lilybart]

Her family does seem to be a mixed bag - so its not surprising that she'd limit her time with some of them. But I have an uneasy feeling about how she seems to have left so many broken relationships in her wake. Other than her mother, who from her life of even a few years ago is she still close to?

[Countessmeout]

Meghan: Volunteering at Skid-Row at 13-
Meghan Markle volunteered on Skid Row when she was 13 | Daily Mail Online

The more I read of some of her interviews, the more I am impressed.

Meghan may have been raised with priviledge, but its obvious her parents have given her a sense of all walks of life. The fears of a 13 year old going into a bad neighborhood like that is quite natural, but she faced them.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by lilybart

Her family does seem to be a mixed bag - so its not surprising that she'd limit her time with some of them. But I have an uneasy feeling about how she seems to have left so many broken relationships in her wake. Other than her mother, who from her life of even a few years ago is she still close to?

Other than her siblings, exes, and childhood friend... she seems to still have relationships with her past. As pointed out she close to her neice. She still very close to her college friends. Her family except the estranged siblings arent talking. So hard to claim she has broken relationships. Seems more she removed the fakeness out her life.

[American Observer7]

My question is when is Thom Markle Sr. going to meet his future son-in-law? Two weeks or so before the wedding takes place?

[Lady Reem]

Prince Harry was perfectly within his right to comment on how his bride-to-be felt spending her first Christmas with him and her new family. He said nothing bad. Nevertheless I’ve no doubt Meghan herself would have given him the complete lowdown on all aspects of her life.

And that includes the impact Meghan may have suffered from negative elements that surrounded her life in a distant past as a child, as well the joyful memories of her experiences from the positive people around her.

Heck, Meghan and her fiancé have probably had deep discussions with her mother too, and we know the Prince has a fond admiration for his future mother in law, he admitted as much himself and it was clear to see. I’d say he has a better perception and knowledge of who Meghan regards as family than any of us. And she still is the only child her parents had together, and more importantly she refers to herself as an only child.

I find it bizarre beyond belief that an estranged agnate HALF SIBLING like Samantha (who constantly touts herself as Meghan’s “sister” and “family” to any that would care to listen and who is almost two decades older than her) would take offence at a fairly innocuous festive comment about Meghan. Particularly when she herself has said hateful comments about Meghan to the press and on SM not that long ago. Of course Meghan & Harry are about to marry and she has since changed her tune.

The KP statement was perfect and I’m glad they didn’t issue the standard ‘no comment’ or ‘private family matter’. Their intent was clear, the Prince’s ‘comments speak for themselves’.

[Cocoasneeze]

I hope we will find out long after it happened, when they meet. Thomas Markle Sr clearly enjoys his privacy, doesn't want the press intrusion and drama they bring, so I'm hoping Meghan and Harry will be able to sneak around the tabloid frenzy and meet him in complete privacy.

[Zonk]

I don't see why we are emphasizing that Thomas and Samantha are her half siblings. A sibling is a sibling in my eye but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

IMO it would be better if they were described as estranged siblings cause that's what they are. Like many, I find it ironic that both Samantha and Thomas speak about Meghan and their father as if they spoke every day. It appears that haven't had a relationship in over five years!

IMO if Thomas walks Meghan down the aisle, than hopefully they would meet before the wedding.

In the States while its common for the father to walk the bride down the aisle, its also not uncommon to see the bride walk herself, have both parents walk her down the aisle or her mother (or some other family member).

What say my TRF UK members? How would any of the situations look if Thomas Sr. didn't walk Meghan down the aisle.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Seeing as how Meghan apparently refers to herself as an only child because her parents only had her, I think it is appropriate to stress that these are her half siblings.

[Zonk]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

Seeing as how Meghan apparently refers to herself as an only child because her parents only had her, I think it is appropriate to stress that these are her half siblings.

And that is a very valid point!

ETA: That to me is the key. I don't like the term half siblings when they tend to be raised together or they have close relationships. To me, it shows that some might not value the relationship.

But in Meghan's case, where there is a significant age difference, they were not raised in the same house and currently there is no relationship, than YES, I can see why the term half sibling is used.

[Lady Reem]

Originally Posted by Zonk

I don't see why we are emphasizing that Thomas and Samantha are her half siblings. A sibling is a sibling in my eye but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

IMO it would be better if they were described as estranged siblings cause that's what they are. Like many, I find it ironic that both Samantha and Thomas speak about Meghan and their father as if they spoke every day. It appears that haven't had a relationship in over five years!

IMO if Thomas walks Meghan down the aisle, than hopefully they would meet before the wedding.

In the States while its common for the father to walk the bride down the aisle, its also not uncommon to see the bride walk herself, have both parents walk her down the aisle or her mother (or some other family member).

What say my TRF UK members? How would any of the situations look if Thomas Sr. didn't walk Meghan down the aisle.

Hi, there’s a HUGE difference between full siblings and agnate siblings IMHO. But yes you are right, people will have their own views on this.

I’m not sure Meghan’s dad walked her down the aisle the first time around so I don’t know if she will feel it necessary this time around. Her wedding is going to be nice regardless.

[Mirabel]

Originally Posted by American Observer7

My question is when is Thom Markle Sr. going to meet his future son-in-law? Two weeks or so before the wedding takes place?

Meghan's relationship with her father may be cordial, but I don't see how it could be very close if Harry hasn't even met him.


(I could just imagine the look on my own father's face, if I were to tell him I'd gotten engaged to a man he hadn't ever met!)

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Zonk

I don't see why we are emphasizing that Thomas and Samantha are her half siblings. A sibling is a sibling in my eye but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

IMO it would be better if they were described as estranged siblings cause that's what they are.

Not emphasized all the time, but the fact is they only share a father is one of the reasons there is a large age difference and limited shared experiences while Meghan was growing up.

[Pranter]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Meghan's relationship with her father may be cordial, but I don't see how it could be very close if Harry hasn't even met him.


(I could just imagine the look on my own father's face, if I were to tell him I'd gotten engaged to a man he hadn't ever met!)

Yeah that's been something I've wondered about all along. Harry's met Doria several times. In almost 2 years he never met her father. Money is not an issue (flights etc). So I also question how close they actually are (Meghan and her father).


LaRae

[Curbside]

My kids are half-siblings, born almost 10 years apart, and they are very close. I cannot imagine one of them would sell out the other in a similar circumstance, knowing that it would cause their sibling pain and embarrassment.

But my kids were raised together, share a lot of common experiences, and know they are responsible for one another. While they are technically half-siblings, no one seeing them together would ever guess they were anything but full siblings.

I don't think Meghan has that kind of relationship with her siblings. At all. Her sister has been bad-mouthing M for years, they weren't raised together, and do not seem to have ever been close, indeed the older half brother and sister are backstabbers, so it's going to be difficult to think of them as run-of-the-mill siblings.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Pranter

Yeah that's been something I've wondered about all along. Harry's met Doria several times. In almost 2 years he never met her father. Money is not an issue (flights etc). So I also question how close they actually are (Meghan and her father).


LaRae

Maybe I can shed some light on this. Some times it’s about time and habits. I love half way across the world from my dad. We talk, but I don’t see him very often. There is a 15 hour flight, but it’s still relatively affordable except obviously in summer. He’s never made a trip here, it’s always been me going back in the past. I have friends that have similar situations, and at least two of them did marry without their father having met their husbands in person first. One met when the parents made the trip for the wedding. The other still haven't met because they didn’t have a wedding.

I don’t think Meghan goes to Mexico often either. Or at least even when she was posting on IG, she posted much about it. Even the one time she was in Mexico on vacation, we didn’t see any post about her dad. Sometimes people get used to a certain way of life. It’s I’ll see you when I see you, but in the mean time we catch up by phone (at one point, I called my dad daily) or FaceTime. I think the only time Meghan has posted about seeing her dad in 2016 was thanksgiving when he came back to LA. It might just be the way they are used to. Plus, Harry has spoken to her father several time on the phone. Yes, I know it’s not the same as meeting in person, but again it goes back to a way of life.

[Somebody]

However, if it had been important to them they would have made it happen, way of life or not. As resources isn't the issue, it's about priority. The fact that Harry hadn't met her father before his daughter decided she wanted to marry him and because of that completely change the course of her life would have warranted at least a visit or meeting had they truly been close. Her mother to whom she apparently is close even visited the Invictus Games!

As others before, I am not saying they don't have a good relationship but from the outset it is really hard to call it 'close' as their actions speak against that.