Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is facing harsh criticism from royal commentator Hilary Fordwich over her estranged relationship with her father, Thomas Markle. The backlash follows Thomas Markle’s repeated public pleas for reconciliation, including a recent interview with the Daily Mail where he expressed his longing to hear from his daughter on his upcoming birthday, July 18.
Thomas Markle, who suffered a stroke in 2022, has been vocal about his desire to mend the relationship with Meghan and meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Despite these pleas, there has been no reported contact from Meghan or Prince Harry, prompting Fordwich to accuse the Duchess of “hypocrisy” and a lack of “empathy.”
“The hypocrisy of Meghan Markle claiming to care about people and all the tours they go on where they have empathy for people,” Fordwich stated on GB News. She highlighted that before Meghan married Prince Harry, she frequently praised her father, even posting on Instagram in 2016 that he was “the greatest in the world.” Fordwich contrasted this with Meghan’s later actions, accusing her of downplaying her father’s role in her life and career after joining the royal family.
Fordwich also pointed out inconsistencies in Meghan’s portrayal of her upbringing. “She claimed that she had made everything herself, and she came from a very poor family,” Fordwich said. “In reality, she had a very privileged childhood, being sent to private schools in California,” which her father, an Emmy-winning lighting director, funded.
The relationship between Meghan and her father became strained just before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry when Thomas Markle was caught staging paparazzi photos. Following the incident, Thomas pulled out of the wedding, citing a heart attack and surgery. Then-Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle in his place. This event was discussed in the third episode of the Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” where Meghan claimed she tried to reach out to her father after the photo scandal but received no response.
Prince Harry described the situation as “incredibly sad,” adding that he felt responsible for the estrangement, saying, “I shouldered that because if Meg wasn’t with me, then her dad would still be her dad.”
In a 2021 interview on “Good Morning Britain,” Thomas Markle recalled one of his last conversations with Meghan and Harry, claiming he hung up after receiving a “snotty” text from Harry that read, “If you had listened to me, this wouldn’t have happened to you.” Thomas stated that this marked the end of their communication, although he claims to have apologized “at least 100 times” since then and expressed disappointment at not hearing back from Meghan or Harry.
The strained relationship has also meant that Thomas has not met his grandchildren, a situation Fordwich described as “a very sad state of affairs.” She emphasized that Thomas played a significant role in Meghan’s early life and career, suggesting that his contributions have been overlooked or minimized in the narrative presented by Meghan and Prince Harry.
This ongoing family drama continues to attract public and media attention, with many criticizing Meghan for not extending the empathy she shows publicly to her father. Fordwich’s comments have added fuel to the fire, highlighting the complexities and emotional strain within the Markle family.