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The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, has revealed he’s getting the silent treatment from his daughter – again - despite sending her a bunch of red roses for her 40th birthday earlier this month.
In an interview on UK TV channel GB News, the retired TV lighting director once again lamented the state of their fractured relationship.
“I wished her a happy birthday and brighter days ahead but I’ve not heard back,” he told journalist Dan Wootton, adding he put in two yellow roses to signify his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet.
The 77-year-old has never met his two-year-old grandson or two-month-old granddaughter despite living just 112km away from the Sussexes’ Montecito residence in Rosarito, Mexico.
He’s also never met his daughter’s husband, Prince Harry (36) – he and Meghan fell out around the time of her wedding in May 2018 and Thomas didn’t attend the nuptials after suffering a heart attack shortly before.
The estrangement deepened as Thomas continued to court the media and lament his unsuccessful attempts to reach out to his youngest daughter.
In Meghan and Harry’s bombshell interview with talk-show host Oprah Winfrey in March, the retired actress said her father had betrayed her and she “found it hard to reconcile with him”.
But Thomas told Wootton he remains confused over why exactly their great relationship broke down and largely blames his son-in-law.
“Harry has this saying, ‘If you look at the paparazzi, you’re done.’
“I’m surprised Harry never bothered to come visit me, or ask for my daughter’s hand in marriage. I was lying in hospital, talking to them from hospital, telling them I couldn’t come to the wedding and they haven’t talked to me since.
“You’re a parent and your child’s in hospital, wouldn’t you be concerned if they live or die? They don’t answer or respond in any way, shape or form.
He also admitted he didn't know if he’ll ever meet his youngest grandchildren due to his ailing health.
“Archie and Lili are small children. They’re not politics. They’re not pawns. They’re not part of the game. I’d like to see Lili. I want to hold her. Same with Archie.”
He said he agreed with British TV presenter Piers Morgan’s comments in June that Meghan’s revelation that she and Harry married in secret in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury days before their royal wedding was “downright lies”.
Meghan made the claim during her Oprah interview, saying they’d had a secret marriage ceremony in their “backyard” officiated by Justin Welby where they shared personal vows and it was “just the two of us”. But even the archbishop said the ceremony wasn’t official.
“Her lies are so obvious I don’t know why she says them . . . and this is new, this is since Harry. Harry’s the influence here,” Thomas told Wootton.
“I don’t know if he or she’s the one behind it, but I really think Harry and probably the ‘Soho friends’ have changed her in a bad way, not a good way,” he said, referring to Meghan’s friend Markus Anderson, who works for members-only club Soho House and apparently introduced her to Harry.
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, pagesix.com, news.sky.com
