“Why does Thomas Markle just not shut up?” It’s a question we and countless others have asked countless times since Meghan Markle became Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. It’s also the question that opened her estranged father’s latest interview with the British media, as he appeared on Good Morning Britain Tuesday to once again exploit his daughter’s family and claim entitlement to a relationship she clearly has no interest in continuing.
“I’ve made it quite clear that until I hear from her—until she does speak to me—that I’ll continue to do this,” Thomas Markle told GMB, which timed the interview to coincide with a commemoration of what would’ve been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday. Markle was speaking from his home in Mexico, as he also did in late July when he threatened to pursue legal action to meet his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet—a threat he is now backing down from, claiming he doesn’t want the children to be used as “pawns in a game.”
His own daughter, however, is clearly fair game.
‘I will do a show at least [every] month, if I can get it through,” he told GMB’s anchors. “And eventually, sooner or later, she should start talking to me.”
For why? What in the ever-loving extortionist logic is this, and what kind of father thinks this is the way back into his daughter’s good graces? (Also, why does this feel like the epitome of entitled white male behavior?) One needn’t be a Sussex supporter to recognize the profound emotional manipulation taking place here—enabled by the British media, no less. (And for those of you triggered by this, due to your own familial relationships, we apologize.)
“This is way too childish,” Markle continued, clearly oblivious to the concept of irony. “This is kind of silly, you know? It’s time to talk with each other—we’re family...the kids are going to grow up without knowing that they have two families. This is more than just me and my daughter now; this is me and my daughter, her husband, and two babies. So it’s time to do something; it’s time to talk.”
Of course, British media is gonna British media, and accordingly, anchor Richard Holt Madeley—another clearly entitled white male anchor who made sure to note that he now occupies Piers Morgan’s old chair—seized upon the opportunity, asking what Meghan’s choice to keep her peace by keeping her father “completely at arm’s length” indicated about “her character...her mindset.”
Frankly, we would’ve asked what it indicates about Thomas Markle’s.
Markle, who previously leaked a private letter from his daughter to the press, claimed not to know what has changed in the four years since Meghan and Harry went public with their relationship, responding “she’s never been that way before...once she hooked up with Harry, she changed...”
As we recall, Markle, er...changed, too. In fact, instead of discreetly traveling to England to walk his daughter down the aisle and into royal life (as did her mother—come through, Doria), he instead opted to court the press, taking ill-advised pre-wedding photo ops and then bowing out of his daughter’s wedding at the eleventh hour.
But please, tell us more, Thomas.
“She’s pretty much disowned both sides of her family,” he continued, hitting the British media’s Meghan-hating g-spot by highlighting the Sussexes’ highly publicized divestiture from “The Firm” (also known as the working royal family). Accusing Harry of abandoning the queen and royal family, he criticized the prince’s upcoming book and speculated on the couple’s happiness, claiming “all [Harry] does now is ride a bicycle around the neighborhood he lives in,” despite also admitting to having zero contact with the couple or their outer circle.
“Everything they’re doing is for money, but to [write a book about his royal life] is just shameful,” Markle stated...and again, the irony astounds. But as long as the British media keeps biting, he’ll happily throw chum in the water.
“It’s just ridiculous,” he said. “It’s been nearly four years. It’s just crazy.”
We couldn’t agree more, Thomas.