The Duchess of Sussex: Family and Background

[Tarlita]

I imagine Meghan and Doria Skype each other on a regular basis and keep a close relationship that way while there is physical distance between them.

 

[Somebody]

I don't think the Queen or Charles would ever override parental decisions made by the parents unless it was absolutely necessary for the welfare of the child. With William and Harry and overriding Diana's choices of guardians, it was because of their proximity to the Crown as William is a future monarch. I agree with the Queen on this move.

Why did William and Harry even need a guardian as they still had a father? Do all children with only one parent have an additional guardian looking over their parent's shoulder?

 

[Muhler]

Here's an interesting tidbit I ran across. Sr whines he may never see his grandchildren from Harry and Meghan. Well that could be arranged

https://amp.news.com.au/entertainme...n/news-story/5070826afa1e1869db31304d4674bd3b

I'm surprised the law is still on the books. The sovereign has custody of minor grandchildren. That means the queen and Charles when he becomes king can block the Markle malcontents from having contact with Harry and Meghan's kids. They can use the public attacks and the adjudicated bad acts of the half sibs as grounds along with Dad's ties to the older kids. Dad, Sam and Jr don't have a legal leg to stand on, and going to an American court won't help. I wouldn't be surprised if Dad figures it out he may shut up and throw his older kids under the bus if distancing himself from them helps him gain access.

Agree, you don't have a right to see your grandchildren. - Especially if you abuse their mother as I think Thomas Markle is, on several levels.

Most grandparents would go to extraordinary lengths to see their grandchildren - and then there are some who see them as pawns...
- And for heavens sake, they haven't even been conceived yet, as far as we know!

Oh, and congratulations on your first 1.000 posts, Madame Verseau.

 

[Somebody]

My perception watching different royal families is that royal grandchildren have little contact with non-royal grandparents. There may be a few exceptions like the Middletons or the Westlings, who seem to be somewhat close to their grandchildren, but, generally speaking, we don't see non-royal grandparents very often with their grandchildren, at least not in public.

Your last sentence is probably the most important one. What we see is not at all indicative of their relationships. Of course, we will see them mostly with their royal family as that is part has both private and public aspects but that tells us very little about their relationship with their non-royal family members.

Agree, you don't have a right to see your grandchildren. - Especially if you abuse their mother as I think Thomas Markle is, on several levels.

Most grandparents would go to extraordinary lengths to see their grandchildren - and then there are some who see them as pawns...
- And for heavens sake, they haven't even been conceived yet, as far as we know!

Thomas Markle doesn't go to extraordinary lengths to see his existing grandchildren as far as we know. He probably messed up badly with them previously.

 

[Spheno]

Why did William and Harry even need a guardian as they still had a father? Do all children with only one parent have an additional guardian looking over their parent's shoulder?

They weren't "personal" guardians. They managed William and Harry's money, inherited from Diana.

The Middletons & William used to holiday with Gary, so they had more recent relationship. Gary went to Pippa’s church ceremony, but according to him, he wasn’t invited to the reception.

Gary didn't speak about Pippa's wedding. Photographers took his pictures on wedding evening in another place with his wife and daughter.

 

[Somebody]

They weren't "personal" guardians. They managed William and Harry's money, inherited from Diana.

Thanks! That explains a lot.

 

[Madame Verseau]

The Fail is still beating the dead horse of Meghan visiting the US to see Doria but now Doria is suppose to fix things with Dad. Really?

 

[MARG]

Why did William and Harry even need a guardian as they still had a father? Do all children with only one parent have an additional guardian looking over their parent's shoulder?

No, just the Royals. Think of the young Queen Victoria raised outside Court or the influence of the Monarch. She was raised to be a used as an ignorant puppet by her mother and a third party.

That would be impossible now. Being raised by the Spencer's would not have been in the best interests of William and Harry nor the monarchy and was never going to happen because they had a living father and their mother did not have legal "custody".

 

[Dman]

Very nice commentary on the Markle Debacle in ITV’s new series, The Royal Rota-

Although KP’s PR team messed up here and can help fix it - a lot of this is down to father and daughter. They’re the ones that will determine how long this mess will go on.

 

[Madame Verseau]

Dad needs to shut his pie hole and reach out to Meghan to settle this quietly. The interviews are not helping and Jr playing Daddy's in anguish and dying tape is turning the public against the whole family. Harry and Meghan are not going to cave and they shouldn't. Dad needs to act his age and clueless about royal protocol and tradition is a dog that won't hunt.

I mentioned on the Royal Library thread about a two night TV program called The Story of the Royals. It's probably why there is a new round of Markle madness. People Magazine worked with ABC on this program and I picked up the magazine with same title. On Meghan's section the Markles are completely left out; Doria is mentioned a tiny bit but her photo is in the special edition. The Markles will see this as a slight, especially if they are blanked from the show. Here comes a new round of outrage.

 

[jacqui24]

I can completely understand if Tom Markle doesn't understand royal protocol. But some of the things he's done crosses the line of human decency, especially for a parent. That's ultimately the issue here.

 

[Madame Verseau]

I can completely understand if Tom Markle doesn't understand royal protocol. But some of the things he's done crosses the line of human decency, especially for a parent. That's ultimately the issue here.

And that's why he needs to grow up and act like an adult.

 

[ACO]

I can completely understand if Tom Markle doesn't understand royal protocol. But some of the things he's done crosses the line of human decency, especially for a parent. That's ultimately the issue here.

Exactly. Common damn sense, respect and decency. Three things he seriously lacks. It is not hard to not attack your child. He does it every time he opens his mouth. There is nothing to fix because he has essentially killed that relationship. I agree with the correspondents who point out that maybe Meghan has told them to NOT talk to Thomas. Maybe she wants nothing to do with this man right now. Who can blame her?

I am glad that the senior royals will be back to work in the next week. Enough of giving this man a platform. Time for him to sit and stew in the crap he created and let his daughter live her life -- away from him.

 

[jacqui24]

Exactly. Common damn sense, respect and decency. Three things he seriously lacks. It is not hard to not attack your child. He does it every time he opens his mouth. There is nothing to fix because he has essentially killed that relationship. I agree with the correspondents who point out that maybe Meghan has told them to NOT talk to Thomas. Maybe she wants nothing to do with this man right now. Who can blame her?

I don't think the aide that was helping him would just all of sudden stop responding unless Meghan instructed him/her to do so.

 

[Dman]

Exactly. Common damn sense, respect and decency. Three things he seriously lacks. It is not hard to not attack your child. He does it every time he opens his mouth. There is nothing to fix because he has essentially killed that relationship. I agree with the correspondents who point out that maybe Meghan has told them to NOT talk to Thomas. Maybe she wants nothing to do with this man right now. Who can blame her?

I am glad that the senior royals will be back to work in the next week. Enough of giving this man a platform. Time for him to sit and stew in the crap he created and let his daughter live her life -- away from him.

That’s just it. Nothing is being done to squash this mess and it will continue and start overshadowing what the focus should be on.

 

[ACO]

I don't think the aide that was helping him would just all of sudden stop responding unless Meghan instructed him/her to do so.

Thomas said repeatedly in his many interviews that he rejected the help. Harry had sent the aid to Thomas who told the man "no" and so he returned to London. Again, not sure what else they could have done. They weren't going to beg him though that is probably what he wanted.

Now we have Tom Jr going on record how Thomas has been changing his numbers as well. And that Snr has never dealt well with Meghan having independence and not needing him so she should make him feel better by calling him. Is this the real issue? Meghan didn't ask "how high" when Snr said jump? She just kept on with her life and married a man she loves.

These Markles are ridiculous. They ALL reveal exactly why she has avoided them most her life. They tell these tidbits thinking it is a slam to Meghan when it just confirms what most already know.

That’s just it. Nothing is being done to squash this mess and it will continue and start overshadowing what the focus should be on.

Overshadow what? Their vacations? The Markles getting obnoxious press in August where they talk about anything and everything means very little to me. They call it "Silly Season" for a reason. Most are exhausted by the Markles and very little take them seriously. Snr once had many feeling sorry for him but now many think he is worse than Samantha.

Soon every single royal will be out and about. We saw how easily the Markles were yesterdays news whenever a new engagement popped up. What more can they say at this point? Nothing. It won't ever be "squashed" because the Markles don't want it. They crave the attention. It is not about Meghan or having a relationship with her. Listen to what they actually say. You want Meghan to bend over backwards to people who have been cruel to her. Pass on that. She just needs to work and the majority will focus on that. History has already shown it.

 

[jacqui24]

That’s just it. Nothing is being done to squash this mess and it will continue and start overshadowing what the focus should be on.

Again I ask, what should be done that will squash it? Because as long as the money is coming in, I don't think they'll stop. The only way is if no one bothers with the Markles and they no longer generate enough clicks for the tabloids to pay them. Notice how they haven't gone onto to GMA or Today?

Thomas said repeatedly in his many interviews that he rejected the help. Harry had sent the aid to Thomas who told the man "no" and so he returned to London. Again, not sure what else they could have done. They weren't going to beg him though that is probably what he wanted.

Now we have Tom Jr going on record how Thomas has been changing his numbers as well. And that Snr has never dealt well with Meghan having independence and not needing him so she should make him feel better by calling him. Is this the real issue? Meghan didn't ask "how high" when Snr said jump? She just kept on with her life and married a man she loves.

These Markles are ridiculous. They ALL reveal exactly why she has avoided them most her life. They tell these tidbits thinking it is a slam to Meghan when it just confirms what most already know.

Uh, all I said was that the aide wouldn't have stopped responding without Meghan's instruction. Which all happened after the GMB interview. So I'm not sure what the point to my comment was?

 

[ACO]

I was agreeing with you. He did it before the wedding so why would Meghan even engage by sending yet another aide? Of course they are listening to Meghan. He is her father. She knows him better than anyone there and if she doesn't want to interact with him then it is for a reason.

 

[Fros]

The Markles are never going to stop and since you don't negotiate with terrorist the only way to stop this is for the media to dump them.

The obpy way for the media to dump them is if the Sussexes pony up and start giving exclusives to the media on exchange for no/very limited Markles coverage.

Far too many reporters have been going for the sympathetic Markles angle but if Harry or Meghan ever spoke to the media the media would sing their praise because the media is fickle that way.

The media is fickle so even if Harry and Meghan give some sort of exclusive it might hold off the Markle stories for a month or two but they would go back to that pot eventually. It would be a band aid solution for a much bigger problem.

More importantly of would be a kin to rewarding the media and submitting to their demands. "Give us something and we'll stop reporting on the Markles for a bit"

 

[MARG]

I don't think the aide that was helping him would just all of sudden stop responding unless Meghan instructed him/her to do so.

Thomas Markle Snr refused the security and aid that Doria Ragland did not. The result of this was when Snr's brother sold him out and gave his address to the media, he was targeted by some very unethical journalists. Nevertheless, while he may have chosen to live incognito in Mexico, initially it seemed neither Jnr nor Samantha had the address.

I think he thought he was so far off the beaten track that nobody would find him, even when he made his first statement he acknowledged that he had refused "help" from Harry and Meghan IMO because of pride which led to his being manipulated into foolish photographs.

Even then he said that Harry and Meghan forgave him and were worried about his health and wanted to come to him. He refused, for whatever reason. Now he is trying to change the narrative and only those new to the debacle believe that total 180-degree change.

 

[M. Payton]

That’s just it. Nothing is being done to squash this mess and it will continue and start overshadowing what the focus should be on.

Tell me ...How do *you* squash this mess if Sr will not shut up? Does one gag him, put him in a corner and tell him to be quiet......what is your plan to squash this? This is not a Disney movie where one child fixes a parent out of control here, this is a parent bullying an adult who is no longer a child, this is a father who has shown his dislike of his daughter all because she has a life of her own and he expects her to drop everything and run to his side to fix him like she can? A man that is at his age should know better, he is the adult here first and she was the child now grown........Dman this is all because of whom Meghan married, this *never* happened when she was married before, when she was working on the TV show, this is only about a *Royal Prince in the most famous royal family today* NOTHING else


c

 

[DeeT]

Very nice commentary on the Markle Debacle in ITV’s new series, The Royal Rota-

Although KP’s PR team messed up here and can help fix it - a lot of this is down to father and daughter. They’re the ones that will determine how long this mess will go on.

Stop victim blaming, the media & father messed up! It’s down to the father to shut up & stop abusing his daughter in collaboration with the media; giving an unjust & one-sided view of a personal situation. No support or money is needed to perform the simple act of closing one’s mouth.

Meghan has only been kind & supportive of her father. She has never publicly said one bad word about him or other relatives, she has remained private. The same cannot be said of them & it is disgusting that the media has given them a platform to abuse. Thank goodness Meghan has her husband, mother & other dear friends to help her through this abusive situation.

There was way too much commentary about Tom Markle on this Royal Rota show. I thought it was supposed to be about the Royals, not about a relative of the wife of the 6th in line. Also, they need to drop the unreliable tabloid-like fact checking as it seems neither of the 3 journalists are aware that Meghan has close friends of almost 20 years & they were at her wedding.

What was interesting was that so many Australians watched The Sussexes wedding on television. Hopefully, the next segment of Royal Rota will have more info about other royals, that would be much more interesting to listen to than about a non royal man.

 

[Madame Verseau]

If Trevor Engelson had the bank accounts of George Clooney, Steven Speilberg, George Lucas, Will Smith, Jay-Z or any other major celebrity the Markles would have been swarming him, demanding that he pull strings to get Sam and Jr cushy jobs in Hollywood and Dad gets a mansion in Beverly Hills or Bel-Air. Jr gave away the game financial support from the Windsors.

 

[DeeT]

Gary didn't speak about Pippa's wedding. Photographers took his pictures on wedding evening in another place with his wife and daughter.

I was mistaken. I didn’t read about Gary speaking at Pippa’s wedding, I saw pictures he posted on social media, on the wedding evening.

Thankfully neither Tom Sr or the estranged siblings can post about the Sussexes wedding. While Jr is deceptively portraying his non-relationship with Meghan as the same as Gary to Catherine, it’s pathetic that the media doesn’t challenge this. Gary has never said horrible abusive things about Catherine or that William should’ve married someone else, instead of her. Tom Jr has said these things & worse recently about Meghan, while she has never publicly said anything bad about him, & there’s plenty that is bad about him!

 

[soapstar]

Let's not speculate about the death of members of the BRF. Those comments have been deleted. Also let's move on from the conversation about Meghan and Harry's future children, as well as the discussion about custody.

 

[Dman]

Folks, I’m not victim blaming. I’m just saying that this situation is down Father and daughter.

We all agree that Mr. Markle should stop talking to the media and stop attacking his daughter through the media. Period. He’s not helping the situation at all.

No, Meghan haven’t attacked her father and haven’t engaged in his childish behavior.

Just saying that only father and daughter can squash this craziness by coming together and talking about those personal issues involved. Either Thomas have to hop on a plane or Meghan make a private visit to dad. Somebody have to put on their grownup knickers and nip this in the bud.

What could be overshadowed by the Markle Debacle? Baby announcement, my friends. Just as soon as that announcement comes, you can pretty much imagine the headlines that would emerge.

Everything just needs a new start. A lot of this didn’t have to go down like it did. It don’t have the continue either.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

We'd all like this to end. But Dad needs to stop talking to the tabloids for anything to change. I think Tom Jr and Samantha have about reached their expiration date as sources, so if Dad would clam up it would fade away. But things have been really bad for the past 2 1/2 months, so I'm not sure a rapprochement would be in the cards anytime soon even if Dad went silent.

 

[jacqui24]

Folks, I’m not victim blaming. I’m just saying that this situation is down Father and daughter.

We all agree that Mr. Markle should stop talking to the media and stop attacking his daughter through the media. Period. He’s not helping the situation at all.

No, Meghan haven’t attacked her father and haven’t engaged in his childish behavior.

Just saying that only father and daughter can squash this craziness by coming together and talking about those personal issues involved. Either Thomas have to hop on a plane or Meghan make a private visit to dad. Somebody have to put on their grownup knickers and nip this in the bud.

What could be overshadowed by the Markle Debacle? Baby announcement, my friends. Just as soon as that announcement comes, you can pretty much imagine the headlines that would emerge.

Everything just needs a new start. A lot of this didn’t have to go down like it did. It don’t have the continue either.

There is one thing that you keep overlooking in this over-idealistic and overly simplified recommendation. How do you expect Meghan to trust the meeting and any discussion would remain private? Because as of right now, Tom is having trouble keeping his mouth shut for more than a week at a time. He even goes as far as to defend Samantha for the vile things she’s said. It’s Meghan’s fault that he’s threatening her and it’s Meghan’s fault that Samantha has been slandering her for almost two years. He says he takes responsibility for the paprazzi photos, but these are nothing but empty words because he got pissed when Harry just said Tom should’ve listened and none of the drama would’ve happened. I find it hard to believe someone is truly sorry when they continue to refuse full responsibility. How does anyone get over all of this? In less than a week after his latest interview, no less. It is certainly between daughter and father, and the only reason it didn’t remain that way is because Tom chose to collude with paparazzi and has been unable to shut up since. Until he’s able to remain quiet for some time, no one can blame Meghan for keeping her distance.

The thing about trust is that it’s hard to build back up when someone has taken a sledge hammer to it time and time again. We are beyond the point of nipping this in the bud. That would’ve been the photo gate, and they tried to do that. However, Tom wasn’t in a cooperative mood.

Any major Sussex news is unlikely to be overshadowed by it. It’ll be mentioned, but given that it didn’t even cast a shadow on the day of the wedding when it first begin, I doubt it would going forward as this becomes expected behavior. It’ll be bigger news when there is no other news to report, but they’ll be pushed to the background like they are every time the Sussexes show up somewhere now.

 

[Princess of Durham]

IMO, whenever there is special attention on Meghan the "mortifying Markles" will make their opinions known. Their move into a new house, their upcoming tour, anything that will create additional jealousy on the part of the Markles will probably elicit new interviews.

 

[DeeT]

I disagree with you Dman. To say that Meghan has to fix this problem is victim blaming. It’s like saying it’s her fault because she doesn’t visit her father or may not be speaking to him, he has a right to be abusive.The father has to match Meghan’s behaviour & be respectfully quiet, that doesn’t need a plane or a visit. Just simply keep his mouth closed. If he had remained quiet, there wouldn’t be as much of a problem.

There’s always been gutter press, out to cause harm, there doesn’t need to be a father assisting them, especially when his child has done her part & remained respectfully quiet. It’s time for him to act not only as a father, but as a person with basic morals.