The Duchess of Sussex: Family and Background

[Somebody]

When exactly did she say that she was always very close to her father? I never believed it in the first place but I still haven't seen her exact phrase nor the context in which it was said. Her recent statement was only that she always cared about him which is something you can say about family members that you are no longer particularly close to as well.

 

[jacqui24]

I think that he has seen his daughter very rarely in the past decade, and only once in the last couple of years, so I'll bet you're right if Meghan's pattern holds true.

Her dad probably long ago realized that he wasn't going to be seeing much of her in the future, maybe he even thought 'What do I have to lose? A non-existent relationship with someone who obviously doesn't care enough to even introduce me in person to her husband-to-be?'

Now he's crying all the way to the bank as they say.

That just does not make sense. He may make bad decisions when things get tough, but he did remain quiet for a long time. He said himself that there were discussion about them going to visit him, but he told them to enjoy their day and go on a proper honeymoon. I haven't seen my dad in person in 3 years. It happens when you live in different countries and have different lifestyles.

 

[Missjersey]

But in Meghan's own words she's always been very close to her father, right? I agree, it says a lot that he's never met Harry, this relationship has been broken for a long time no matter how The Duchess of Sussex wants to paint the picture.

I agree with you Missy, had same thoughts.

 

[Terri Terri]

But in Meghan's own words she's always been very close to her father, right? I agree, it says a lot that he's never met Harry, this relationship has been broken for a long time no matter how rosy Meghan wants to paint the picture.

Even if it wasn't broken before, it surely is now!

 

[Missjersey]

After seeing Doris at the IG, up until the engagement, I thought/hoped we made might get a glimpse of Thomas with the couple. Distance can never change a loving relationship. I have come to the conclusion, JMHO, that the Duchess and her father have a distant relationship.

 

[Terri Terri]

And getting more distant by the day because if Harry and Meghan cannot trust her father to keep their private life private....then they have no choice but to maintain or increase that distance.

 

[Osipi]

And the hits just keep on coming. I think it is a general consensus that the interview that Tom Markle did with Piers Morgan was a huge mistake regardless of what Tom's motives were behind it. You have to know that when the following day, there is an interview with the interviewer discussing the controversial interview, its captured the attention of people around the world.

I saw this and found it interesting. I still don't care for Piers Morgan at all though. He reminds me of a circling shark laying in wait for prey.

 

[Marlo]

If Thomas wasn't interested in the money he should donate it to one of their favorite charities.

 

[Marlo]

You would think harry would have been able to deal with this. I blame him, she is disappearing before our eyes

What are you talking about?

 

[Missjersey]

And the hits just keep on coming. I think it is a general consensus that the interview that Tom Markle did with Piers Morgan was a huge mistake regardless of what Tom's motives were behind it. You have to know that when the following day, there is an interview with the interviewer discussing the controversial interview, its captured the attention of people around the world.

I saw this and found it interesting. I still don't care for Piers Morgan at all though. He reminds me of a circling shark laying in wait for prey.

Your first sentence hit the nail on the head for me Osipi. Because of the Duchess position, sharks will always be out looking for a nibble. I think the Markle family seem to like to go chumming IMO. For me, it’s the new Neverending Story.

You would think harry would have been able to deal with this. I blame him, she is disappearing before our eyes

This is not the Duke of Sussex fault.

 

[Missy-]

And the hits just keep on coming. I think it is a general consensus that the interview that Tom Markle did with Piers Morgan was a huge mistake regardless of what Tom's motives were behind it. You have to know that when the following day, there is an interview with the interviewer discussing the controversial interview, its captured the attention of people around the world.

I saw this and found it interesting. I still don't care for Piers Morgan at all though. He reminds me of a circling shark laying in wait for prey.

Why a mistake? If, as some have asserted, Tom Markle is only in it for the money then I believe it was a huge success which will reap dividends. The fact that people are still talking about it makes it lucrative for TM and PM and bodes well for further 'revealations'.

 

[M. Payton]

**Future revelations**, I have very serious doubts that Harry and Meghan will be giving her father any information about their *private or public lives* in the future. I would like to think that this interview that her father courted and got paid for without discussing it with them first will shut the door closed to him. maybe the weather would be a good topic of conversation in the days, months and years to come.....nothing else should ever be discussed with that man as he is not to be trusted ever again. Like a few other members of the family, he is all about ME and MY IMAGINE period. Poor excuse for a father if you ask me!
Hope he enjoys the 30 pieces of silver for I bet the banks of the media are going to be closing soon on him...

 

[Missy-]

**Future revelations**, I have very serious doubts that Harry and Meghan will be giving her father any information about their *private or public lives* in the future. I would like to think that this interview that her father courted and got paid for without discussing it with them first will shut the door closed to him. maybe the weather would be a good topic of conversation in the days, months and years to come.....nothing else should ever be discussed with that man as he is not to be trusted ever again. Like a few other members of the family, he is all about ME and MY IMAGINE period. Poor excuse for a father if you ask me!
Hope he enjoys the 30 pieces of silver for I bet the banks of the media are going to be closing soon on him...

Do you think that will stop him from talking? All he's got to do is have another medical emergency or feel the need to give some fatherly advice and boom, he'll be calling TMZ or sitting down for an interview with Piers. The media never closes the door on $$$

Besides, I thought it was the general consensus that Harry would never say anything like that because he was too well bred. So which is it, did he betray Harry's trust or would Harry never have trusted him? Color me confused.

 

[Rudolph]

We had the faked paparazzi pics and now a Piers Morgan interview. I think the next thing you’ll see is a US television interview. This can be a lucrative business for himself.

It’s been suggested he got upwards of 40 thousand dollars from Piers. Why would he stop now?

 

[alvinking]

Do you think that will stop him from talking? All he's got to do is have another medical emergency or feel the need to give some fatherly advice and boom, he'll be calling TMZ or sitting down for an interview with Piers. The media never closes the door on $$$

Besides, I thought it was the general consensus that Harry would never say anything like that because he was too well bred. So which is it, did he betray Harry's trust or would Harry never have trusted him? Color me confused.

Members of the BRF are not robots, they all do have opinions, even political opinions. However, one can and should expect that anything share privately not be broadcasted to the press publicly. This is common sense, and basic expectations if you asked me.

 

[Osipi]

Do you think that will stop him from talking? All he's got to do is have another medical emergency or feel the need to give some fatherly advice and boom, he'll be calling TMZ or sitting down for an interview with Piers. The media never closes the door on $$$

Besides, I thought it was the general consensus that Harry would never say anything like that because he was too well bred. So which is it, did he betray Harry's trust or would Harry never have trusted him? Color me confused.

From what I gather, and this is just my opinion, the things Harry said to Tom on the phone when talking to him and getting to know him were to me, really vague statements without revealing his own personal political thoughts. Harry also had the expectation of privacy at the time talking with a future family member. I wouldn't want to be a fly on the wall when he got the news that his "political" leanings were making headlines world wide.

I've also noticed that nothing Tom Sr. said in relation to Harry and Meghan stemmed from being recent. It was all pre wedding phone conversations and his feelings about not being able to attend the wedding and superficial tidbits like "Meghan has always wanted children". This tells me that even with the statement that Meghan put out right before the wedding about caring for her father and asking that he be respected and left alone to recover was something just on the surface to smooth things over.

Where the father and daughter relationship goes from here is anybody's guess and I sincerely hope that measures will be taken to keep it out of the press. If that means cutting contact off with Meghan's father, so be it. Relegate the Markle side of the family to the "white noise" department if that is what it takes. Trust isn't a given thing but something that is earned and once broken down, all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put it back together again.

The media may be a lucrative thing on Tom's speed dial but the price he's paying, to me, isn't worth it.

 

[Missy-]

...The media may be a lucrative thing on Tom's speed dial but the price he's paying, to me, isn't worth it.

I agree, it wouldn't be worth it to you or me. But I think at this point in his life Markle may figure 'what do I have to lose'. Which is sad.

 

[M. Payton]

Do you think that will stop him from talking? All he's got to do is have another medical emergency or feel the need to give some fatherly advice and boom, he'll be calling TMZ or sitting down for an interview with Piers. The media never closes the door on $$$

Besides, I thought it was the general consensus that Harry would never say anything like that because he was too well bred. So which is it, did he betray Harry's trust or would Harry never have trusted him? Color me confused.

Of course he won't stop talking But what will he talk about......I hope that now both Harry and Meghan are very well aware of how he is not to be trusted and they will not tell him anything about their lives, so what is left for him to tell the media? The weather perhaps....once the media realizes that he has nothing to say to them of importance, then they will look elsewhere for news on what Harry and Meghan are doing.

And since we are not privy to that conversation between Tom Sr and Harry I have serious doubts Harry talked about anything important......we do not know for a FACT now do we? It is not about being bred, it is about learning from the family and life's experiences that we develop our instincts on whom we can trust and not trust.....Harry has a *circle of trust* as I have learned here, break that trust then your out of his life forever.....I have also that circle of trust in my life now......damn good thing to have backing you up!?

 

[Rudolph]

The only ‘blame’ I would assign to Harry and Meghan is if they had any inkling her family was going to be this toxic, maybe they could have made some attempts to bring these people inside the tent sort of speak. Hindsight is 20/20 though. Clearly they didn’t think it was this bad.

I think his stumbling, bumbling routine is contrived. He can come across as just a caring dad wanting the best for his daughter. Whereas I think he’s in it for the money. Which is his prerogative I guess. They clearly don’t have a close relationship by conventional standards.

 

[MaiaMia_53]

Thanks for linking the follow-up reaction video @Osipi. I have to say that I don't think Piers and co-host are being straightforward, and Diana's former employee Paul Burrell is already a former royal insider cast-out. So whoopee-doo about what they are trying to spin. Emily Andrews is a betwixt and between royal journalist who necessarily is always on the lookout for the next scoop and the reliable or unreliable insider source to help butter her bread and keep her in the business of royal-watching and reporting.

Sure, even I have questioned why someone perhaps wasn't discreetly sent down to Mexico by the royals to assist Mr. Markle long ago. However, I think the sticky wicket which is not being taken into consideration is that we do not know all the ins-and-outs of the Markle family dynamics which clearly goes back many years, as the conflicts and dynamics in all families do. Plus the royals don't tend to become directly involved with a royal wife's dysfunctional family conflicts. What they've done is to support Meghan and to offer assistance to Markle Snr surrounding his wedding participation, and also to request the media to respect his privacy (which the media has clearly ignored).

So that said, it appears to me that Meg from the very beginning of her relationship with Harry must have felt she could not be sure of her Dad's complete loyalty and discretion.

And let's not forget that Samantha was dogging Meghan viciously on Internet sites as soon as she found out Meghan was dating Prince Harry.

Still once Samantha began her whining against Meghan to the media and her behind-the-scenes attacks online, there rose a question as to whether the Markle family were going to be a source of trouble for M&H's relationship. If M&H's relationship had not been solid, and Meghan had not been the bee's knees and the real deal in Harry's eyes, the Markle dysfunction would have been a detriment and a real cause for pushing the 'relationship over and out' alarm button.

And then let's not forget that Meghan's Dad was minding his own business in Mexico right up until someone (likely a family member) revealed his whereabouts to the paps who had been searching high and low for him for awhile. At that point, Markle Snr likely needed help and guidance. I think KP and BP were leaving it up to Meghan and Harry to deal with interacting with Markle Snr.

 

[Missy-]

Of course he won't stop talking But what will he talk about......I hope that now both Harry and Meghan are very well aware of how he is not to be trusted and they will not tell him anything about their lives, so what is left for him to tell the media?

Who cares what he talks about, you're missing my point. He doesn't have any inside information now, he hasn't in the past and he won't in the future. There will never be a close relationship with his daughter again, he knows this already, there is nothing for him to lose and only money to be gained. And he is a cash cow for the media, they will milk him for all he's worth. Get used to it, he's not going away.

 

[M. Payton]

Missy:
Do you think the media has a bottomless bank account that they will continue to pay any Markle who has NOTHING to tell them about Harry and Meghan? I would like to think even the media is not that stupid for paying for *nothing*, no facts, just maybe *Hi and By, talk to you later* type of conversation. If they do then more power to the Markle's for they will be getting life time support all paid by the media and their bank accounts will over flow with media money...

He is not worth much even now to the media is he?

 

[Missy-]

Missy:
Do you think the media has a bottomless bank account that they will continue to pay any Markle who has NOTHING to tell them about Harry and Meghan? I would like to think even the media is not that stupid for paying for *nothing*, no facts, just maybe *Hi and By, talk to you later* type of conversation. If they do then more power to the Markle's for they will be getting life time support all paid by the media and their bank accounts will over flow with media money...

He is not worth much even now to the media is he?

This is turning into a circular discussion, but yes, when it comes to investing in interviews that will generate ad revenue I believe the media will pay to put his face out there forever. They don't care if he has nothing to say, they can make up stories, they just need his face and his permission.

 

[Curryong]

Well, if Tom continues to yap to the media, then the Sussexes and KP will just have to put up with it won't they? Samantha poured out a continuous stream of poison about her half-sister from the time she knew Meghan was dating Harry. Did it break up their romance, Nope! Did it stop their engagement, No! Did it prevent their wedding or the BRF from welcoming Meghan into their family? No!

So what Samantha's vitriol achieved, (absolutely nothing,) I'm sure Tom's anodyne remarks aren't going to. The media has tired already of Samantha and her sources of income are drying up. She's rarely heard on British media any more and the same eventually will happen to Tom, if he continues to talk.

 

[jacqui24]

Notice how Samantha Markle’s golden well dried up? Oh and remember how the Dooleys were invited to cover the royal wedding for GMB? I don’t recall them being there. While GMB denied they’ll be on air few days before the wedding, they refused to comment if they were originally scheduled to be.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

This was the interview for Thomas Snr. He won't get many more, and if he goes to give more interviews, he will loose the little bit of sympathy he has left. He already looks like untrustworthy, spilling alleged private conversations, and everyone knows he won't have anything to spill any more.

This situation also showed, that the Markles won't shake Meghan, Harry or the RF. We saw so much unity at Ascot, the day after Mr Markle spilled his guts, and it effected nothing. Meghan and Harry did their jobs, and did it well, looking great. And it will continue like this. Markles will not cone out on top in this one.

 

[MaiaMia_53]

I simply don't see Meghan's Dad as being some kind of adversary to her. If anything, the older half siblings, especially Samantha have been influencing Markle Snr, IMO. There's a lot we don't know and will likely never find out. So I tend to keep that in mind. We are speculating about what we've read, heard, seen and know about Meghan, her family, and the royal family.

I certainly did not expect anything else from Meghan, Harry and the royal family, but that they would move forward with grace in their public roles. They handle private matters behind-the-scenes, so they will not be making public comments about this breach of discretion by Markle Snr.

Piers Morgan can rest assured that the royals will ignore this attempt by him and GMB to manipulate Meghan's father, and then to hypocritically castigate the royal firm for not protecting Markle Snr from their underhanded machinations.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

You would think harry would have been able to deal with this. I blame him, she is disappearing before our eyes

Deal with what? Mr Markle giving interviews? Harry is unable to control a grown adult man, especially a man he doesn't even know. This interview is Mr Markle's fault, the interviews other Markles have given are their fault, too.

And to say, that the palace should've done more. What exactly. They cant force people to follow their advice or take their help. That falls on Mr Markle as well.

 

[Kataryn]

Sarah Duchess of York talked for decades on American TV about the RF and got money for it. She still lives at Royal Lodge because her family doesn't care what the media thinks about this. I hope Meghan and Harry will be able to cope with Meghan's father the same way.

 

[ACO]

There is a big difference with Sarah and Thomas. She was the wife and is the mother of blood royalty. She was actually in that circle and frankly still is in a lot of ways. The only thing telling us the Yorks are divorced is the paperwork. They tolerated her antics because of of all that.

Thomas is noone to these people. And if Meghan wipes her hands clean of him then they will likely continue ignoring him. I do agree with the comment that this is only the beginning with him. He has his other daughter being his ultimate cheerleader. That’s all he wants — attention to stroke his ego.

He can continue watching Meghan love her life from afar.