Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, has not met his new grandson, Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, or his son-in-law, Prince Harry. But a Palace insider reports that there have been discussions about how to handle the Duchess of Sussex's estranged father now that he and the rest of the Markle family have begun making comments about the royal baby.
After his daughter gave birth to her son on May 6th, Thomas released a very measured statement to The Sun, which read: “I am proud that my new grandson is born into the British royal family and I am sure that he will grow up to serve the crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity, and honor. God bless the child and I wish him health and happiness, and my congratulations to my lovely daughter Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry, and God save the Queen."
While the royal family's motto has long been "never complain, never explain," Thomas's persistence in talking about his daughter and the royal family has caused the Palace to consider a different approach. According to my royal source, "Mr. Markle's comments have vacillated between being conciliatory as well as quite hurtful. Since it has become apparent the situation is not going to resolve itself, the Palace is considering an extraordinary step by taking an active role in this unfortunate ongoing drama."
But, the insider added, "Mr. Markle is a loose cannon. The situation is very difficult and needs to be handled with great care."
The source continued: "If Mr. Markle is to be dealt with, it will most certainly require a face to face meeting of some kind. There is no chance the duke and duchess would risk being ambushed by paparazzi, so the initial stages of any discussion with him would likely be conducted behind the scenes with a member of the royal household. If that went well, he could be invited for a private visit. They are proceeding with extreme caution, but are set on coming to some kind of a resolution."
On his podcast, Pod Save the Queen, Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers has reported that there have been meetings to address the growing concern over Thomas and that Meghan is "certainly aware of this."
While Meghan may want to find a solution to resolve this very public rift with her family, she is understandably skeptical about reaching out to her father. Last August, Thomas revealed the deeply personal contents of a five-page letter Meghan wrote to him to The Mail on Sunday. In the letter, the duchess admonished her father for breaking her heart "into a million pieces" by talking about her to the press, fabricating stories, and attacking her new husband. Meghan also accused her father of not supporting her when it came to her half-sister, Samantha Markle. "You watched me silently suffer at the hands of her vicious lies," she wrote. "I crumbled inside."
Meghan has reportedly not spoken to her father since before her wedding on May 19, 2018, when it was revealed that Thomas had worked with the paparazzi to stage photos that "caught" him brushing up on British history and getting fitted for his tuxedo. Thomas has repeatedly told reporters that he has written, called, and texted Meghan to no avail.
But, this may all end soon. "It's gone beyond writing letters," my source said. And for more royals news, check out Harry and Meghan’s Most Adorable Couple Moments.
Diane Clehane is a New York-based journalist and author of Imagining Diana and Diana: The Secrets of Her Style.
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