The Duchess of Sussex: Family and Background

[ACO]

Palmer also says he understands why people are annoyed by the coverage. He even thinks it’s repetitive. He sees both sides. Press will run an obvious story. No changing that but even they know you can exhaust a topic as well. I do think we are reaching that point with the Markles.

[Ish]

Posts wishing Thomas Markle, Sr death or ill health have been deleted, and will continue to be deleted. No one is required to like him, but people are required to remain respectful.

[duchessrachel]

From the Mirror : “The thing both my dad and I are sick of is our family being publicly mocked and flogged" (said by Samantha)

My response: Well then quit giving the public ammunition.

[M. Payton]

The only thing I can say is I really really hope the is NO contact with the Markle Clan......they do not deserve to have any time spent on them whatsoever......we here I believe most of us are appalled at the behavior of how some of the family members have treated Meghan and why....being jealous or envious of what another has accomplished on their own as a adult is beyond disgusting. They should look to Meghan with pride at the person she has become in her own right.......but not this family. I for one send prayers that this young couple can withstand the onslaught of hate that is directed at them and that they can just move on and enjoy life as a newly married couple should. As for the media, this is a horrible sign of what they do to anyone they feel like it, this could happen to anyone not just a royal couple.....this is beyond bullying and manipulation of the people. I am really sicken buy this for I want no part of the human race that wants to destroy someone over jealousy or something so petty....

[jacqui24]

Neither of them understand the concept of when you are in a hole, stop digging.

Seriously, what kind of person threatens their own child with death?

As for the media, while I understanding reporting a story when something comes up, I don't understand how it is ok for them to go and seek this story and pay them for it at this point. They know these people have been abusing a woman who can't respond by sling mud at her in public simply because they can't get her attention. They know they have no access or information, all they would get is for them to issue further verbal abuse. At that point, those people that pay for it and seek it are aiding and abetting.

[Cocoasneeze]

Originally Posted by duchessrachel

From the Mirror : “The thing both my dad and I are sick of is our family being publicly mocked and flogged" (said by Samantha)

My response: Well then quit giving the public ammunition.

But it's fun when it's done to Meghan.

They go to every possible public forum to trash Meghan, but when tables turn, they cry victim.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by duchessrachel

From the Mirror : “The thing both my dad and I are sick of is our family being publicly mocked and flogged" (said by Samantha)

My response: Well then quit giving the public ammunition.

They are pathetic. They sit there and bully people but the moment they strike back they are victims? The nerve of Samantha whining because people are rightfully calling them out. She screams all day about freedom in speech. Well...

[M. Payton]

What Sam and her father have been doing is hopefully coming right back at them tenfold........what you put out to the world does come back to you and Karma takes huge bites, so have a feast Karma for it is well deserved....

[Cocoasneeze]

I was actually giggling at Samantha's response to Chrissy Teigen. 'That guy is our father and deserves respect!!!'

[MsJulie]

I have often wondered if senior Markle has a passport....did he ever apply for one in the past months knowing he was going to England for a wedding?

Just asking...is senior Markle on a no fly list? We would not know.

Both of these issues could have prevented senior Markle from flying hence the drama.

No matter what the Duke and Dutchess do or not do they will be wrong in certain people’s eyes. better to be quiet and if need be let lawyers handle the issues.

I bet the Duke and senior Markle did meet. It would have been quiet to not draw attention so the family is saying the did not meet. JMO because the Duke would not have let this slide.

And off topic....Spellcheck on an iPad is a pain in the neck!

[rominet09]

Originally Posted by M. Payton

What Sam and her father have been doing is hopefully coming right back at them tenfold........what you put out to the world does come back to you and Karma takes huge bites, so have a feast Karma for it is well deserved....

Never read something so true and you can verify it every day !!!!!!

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by MsJulie

I have often wondered of senior Markle has a passport....did he ever apply for one in the past months knowing he was going to England for a wedding?

Just asking...is senior Markle on a no fly list? We would not know.

Both of these issues could have prevented senior Markle from flying hence the drama.

No matter what the Duke and Dutches do or not do they will be wrong in certain people’s eyes. better to be quiet and if need be let lawyers handle the issues.

I bet the Duke and senior Markle did meet. It would have been quiet to not draw attention so the family is saying the did not meet. JMO because the Duke would not have let this slide.

Well, Tom, Sr. definitely has the Passport Card for North American travel, but whether he has an actual Passport for International travel, who knows.

Where and when do you think Harry met his father-in-law?

[Ish]

Originally Posted by MsJulie

I bet the Duke and senior Markle did meet. It would have been quiet to not draw attention so the family is saying the did not meet. JMO because the Duke would not have let this slide.

When? We know that Harry hadn’t met him prior to the wedding, as it was stated that Harry would be meeting him in person for the first time when he arrived in the UK for the wedding. While it’s feasible that he may have met him since then and just gone unnoticed, given the press attention on Markle Sr it seems very unlikely. I also don’t believe Harry has disappeared for any lengthy period of time since the wedding outside of the time said that he and Meghan were on their honeymoon.

That said, it’s not Harry’s job to fly to Mexico to deal with Meghan’s family - not unless Meghan wants him to. It’s Harry’s job to let Meghan make a decision regarding how she is going to handle her family, and support her in it. Thomas Markle Sr’s actions are not directly affecting Harry, they’re affecting Meghan and are owing to Meghan’s relationship with him. If Meghan decides she never wants to speak to her father again, Harry should support her in that. If she decides that she wants to reconcile and jump on the earliest possible flight to Mexico, Harry should support her in that too. He’s her father, it’s her choice.

Originally Posted by O-H Anglophile

Well, Tom, Sr. definitely has the Passport Card for North American travel, but whether he has an actual Passport for International travel, who knows.



Where and when do you think Harry met his father-in-law?

Does the US have different passports for North American travel? Travelling from the US to Mexico or Canada is still international travel. This is a genuine question - I believe that pre-9/11 Canadians could cross the US/Canada border without a passport (just needed ID), but post-9/11 that’s changed, and so we need our passports now, and it’s the same passport as we would use to travel to the UK or elsewhere.

[Missy-]

Originally Posted by Ish

Does the US have different passports for North American travel? Travelling from the US to Mexico or Canada is still international travel. This is a genuine question - I believe that pre-9/11 Canadians could cross the US/Canada border without a passport (just needed ID), but post-9/11 that’s changed, and so we need our passports now, and it’s the same passport as we would use to travel to the UK or elsewhere.

Now for travel between the US and Canada you have to have a passport or an enhanced driver's license. Between Mexico & the US by air you need a passport, by land or sea a Pass Card is all you need (I think that's true for US - Canada air travel as well).

I agree that Harry has never met Sr., and I agree that is between Meghan and her dad to decide, Harry's role is to support his wife and I doubt he'd try to sway her decision. I think Meghan & her father's relationship has been extremely distant for a long time, I also don't think he was ever going to be part of the wedding, that everyone made a pretense out of it so all could save face. All JMO

[Ish]

Originally Posted by Missy-

Now for travel between the US and Canada you have to have a passport or an enhanced driver's license. I'm not sure about Mexico.

Thank you! I’ve googled it, and the enhanced driver’s license allows for travel between Mexico and the US as well, provided it’s via land/sea entry (it doesn’t work for air travel). We don’t have an equivalent in Canada - we just have the passport or Nexus (which is basically an escalated passport that makes crossing the border easier/faster).

That said, it’s very possible that Markle Sr doesn’t have a full passport, as he hasn’t needed one. Or at least didn’t have one prior to the engagement - I would hope he got one before the wedding.

[ACO]

I doubt Harry met Thomas because that is one of the main reasons this man is whining. He feels disrespected because he hasn't have face time with any of the royals. He was just recently telling the media that Harry needed to "get over it" and meet him.

[Pranter]

Pretty sure I remember it being released that Harry had not yet met Meghan's father after the engagement was out.


LaRae

[Rudolph]

Thomas Markle said in his latest interview, “I don’t even want to meet Prince Harry”, so that says to me they haven’t met.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Ish

Does the US have different passports for North American travel? Travelling from the US to Mexico or Canada is still international travel. This is a genuine question - I believe that pre-9/11 Canadians could cross the US/Canada border without a passport (just needed ID), but post-9/11 that’s changed, and so we need our passports now, and it’s the same passport as we would use to travel to the UK or elsewhere.

You are correct about not needing anything but ID (or a birth certificate for children) for US travel to Canada or Mexico prior to 9/11 and for travel to US from those countries. My husband and I only needed our driver's licenses when we went to Canada in the 90s.

Now we do have two different forms of travel documents available.

You can get just a Passport Card that allows travel to Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda by land or sea only, not air travel to those places. It costs $65 for the card.

For travel outside the US by air or other international travel you need to get a full Passport Book. It costs $145.

Both are valid for 10 years before needing to be renewed.

ETA-Only a few states offered the enhanced drivers license until recently. With more specific ID being required to even fly domestically beginning October 2020, most states have begun offering the enhanced license. My state only began offering it this month.

Until the past year, only 4 states had the enhanced drivers license-Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington state.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Missy-

I agree that Harry has never met Sr., and I agree that is between Meghan and her dad to decide, Harry's role is to support his wife and I doubt he'd try to sway her decision. I think Meghan & her father's relationship has been extremely distant for a long time, I also don't think he was ever going to be part of the wedding, that everyone made a pretense out of it so all could save face. All JMO

To me that seems unlikely. I think that Meghan sincerely thought her father was going to come over for her wedding. I wouldn't call it saving face when all of it is blowing up (as was to be expected if the intention truly was for him NOT to attend). Whether mr Markle himself truly intended to attend is a different question; he might not have been consistent... he probably truly wanted to attend and play one of the main roles at the wedding and meet all those important people/royals but on the other hand was terrified of doing so.