Thomas Markle is speaking out about publishing a private letter earlier this year that was written by his daughter, Meghan Markle, in 2018.
The former lighting director, who is estranged from his daughter, defended his actions and says he released “parts” of the five-page letter after the Duchess of Sussex’s friends came forward to defend her in an anonymous testimonial published in People in February. In the spread, Meghan’s friends said that he’d never attempted to make amends or reach out.
“I decided to release parts of the letter because of the article from Meghan’s friends in People magazine. I have to defend myself. I only released parts of the letter because other parts were so painful,” Thomas told the Mail on Sunday over the weekend. “The letter didn’t seem loving to me. I found it hurtful.”
“The letter was presented in a way that vilified me and wasn’t true,” he added. “It was presented as her reaching out and writing a loving letter in the hope of healing the rift, but the letter isn’t like that at all.”
Thomas, who told the Mail that he’d repeatedly tried to reach out to his daughter after the royal wedding in May 2018, said he’d hoped the letter would be an “olive branch” and a “pathway to reconciliation.”
“I don’t recognize the person who wrote the letter but I still love my daughter. All it would take is one phone call and most of this craziness would stop,” he said.
Meghan is now pursuing legal action against Associated Newspapers, the parent company of the Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail, for publishing the private letter. Prince Harry announced Meghan’s suit with a fiery statement about the British press’ “ruthless campaign” against her and their treatment of his wife.
He also slammed Associated Newspapers for only publishing part of the private letter in an attempt to “manipulate” readers.
“In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year,” he said in a letter published on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s website.
Kensington and Buckingham Palace have never directly responded to any of Thomas Markle’s claims or statements.
Meghan’s father has never met Prince Harry and reportedly hasn’t spoken to his daughter and her husband since the day after their wedding last year. He has also never met his grandson, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
Though Thomas was invited to the royal wedding and was initially supposed to walk Meghan down the aisle, he later pulled out of the ceremony after it was revealed he conspired with paparazzi to produce staged photos for money. He later said that he pulled out of the wedding for health issues.
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