Speaking Out

Meghan Markle’s Dad Thomas Markle Finally Speaks Out

Thomas Markle, whose last-minute decision not to attend his daughter’s wedding nearly derailed the royal event of the year, breaks his silence.

Meghan Markle’s reclusive dad, Thomas Markle, has told how his daughter wept as she told him to focus on “getting better” after he explained that he could not attend her wedding due to ill health.

In an astonishing interview on British TV on Monday, Markle broke his silence about the dramatic events leading up to his daughter’s wedding and said he deeply regretted co-operating with the paparazzi to set up photos of himself.

He also said he cried in a small rented apartment as he watched his daughter’s wedding on television.

Markle, who cut a frail figure as he spoke sometimes haltingly to British TV breakfast show Good Morning, Britain, said he talked to Harry early on in their relationship.

“Meghan told me first and then a few times after that Harry got on the phone with her and asked for her hand over the phone,” he said. “I said ‘You’re a gentleman, promise me you’ll never raise a hand against my daughter and of course I give you my permission.’”

Asked whether a “stork” had paid a visit to the palace yet, Markle said: “She’s wanted children for a long time.

“When she met Harry and she spoke about how much she loves him... there’s got to be a child in the making there soon.”

Markle said that when he told them he would not attend the wedding: “They were disappointed. Meghan cried, I’m sure, and they both said ‘Take care of yourself, we are really worried about you.’”

He added: “I absolutely wanted to walk my daughter down the aisle.”

In connection with his own collaboration with a paparazzi photographer, Markle said “I accept full responsibility. I can say I’m sorry for those things for the rest of my life, but I’m paying for those things for the rest of my life.

“But as long as they’re happy and have a great life and have some beautiful children and do good things in the world. I can’t ask for more.”

In another section of the bombshell interview, likely to raise eyebrows in British court circles, Markle appeared to reveal Prince Harry’s private political views.

“I was complaining I didn’t like Donald Trump,” said Markle. “He said give Donald Trump a chance. I sort of disagreed with that but I still like Harry. That was his politics, I have my politics.”

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.