‘Shame on you!’ Meghan Markle’s father Thomas Markle Snr torn apart by royal fans
MEGHAN MARKLE’s father Thomas Markle Senior was fiercely criticised on social media after claiming his daughter and Prince Harry “owe” him.
Meghan Markle: Father says he may never see daughter again
Mr Markle spoke at length about his feelings and the relationship with his daughter and son-in-law, Meghan and Harry, in a documentary aired on Channel 5 last night. And some of his claims left social media users and royal fans in a state of shock, with many taking to Twitter to express their disbelief.
After Mr Markle defended his decision to take part in the Thomas Markle: My Story documentary in exchange of money because the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “owe” him, one Twitter user said the former lighting director’s behaviour spoke volumes about him.
Mr Markle said: “I’ll continue to do future things & get paid for it.
“Harry owes me. Meghan owes me.
“She promised to look after me in my senior years, I’m 75 & I deserve to get paid.”
In response, one social media user said: “That statement alone tells us what kind of ‘father’ he is.”
Another said most parents don’t expect to be rewarded for bringing up their children and paying for their education.
They wrote: “#ThomasMarkle making a point about the money she’s given him and then mentioning the amount he’s paid for college etc... you’re her dad?
“The role of a parent is to support their child including during education?
READ MORE: How Meghan Markle had ‘unrealistic expectations’ of new life
“Then he expects money back? Mind of a business man not father I say.”
During the interview, Mr Markle also told of his last phone calls with Prince Harry and Meghan - taking place days before their wedding in Windsor on May 19 2018.
One conversation with Harry, Mr Markle claimed, focused on the former Hollywood lighting director’s ill-advised decision to set up paparazzi shots in exchange of money.
Mr Markle said the decision to meddle with photographers will “haunt me for the rest of my life” before recalling how he was allegedly reprimanded by his estranged son-in-law.
He added: “Harry said to me, ‘if you had listened to me, this wouldn’t have happened to you’.
“I said to him, ‘it’s too bad I didn’t die because then you guys could pretend you were sad,’ and then I hung up on them. I was done.”
However, his despair at not yet meeting his grandson Archie Harrison didn’t win the public over.
One social media user said: “Most parents would do anything to protect their children.
“This interview is not the act of a loving father.
“Shame on you Thomas.”
Another said: “As a child, you are not obliged to stay in touch with a toxic parent.
“Many toxic parents are likeable by others, charming.
“But at home, they tear their children apart emotionally. #ThomasMarkle did it in public as well.
“I wish we talk more about abuse & how it’s not always physical.”
And a third added: “Thomas Markle - I love and miss my daughter… which is why I’ll do interviews behind her back talking absolute s**t about her and things I have no idea about because I wasn’t there.”
While many members of the public sided with Meghan and Harry and against Mr Markle, the documentary helped change, or at least slightly modify, the opinion some social media users had of him.
One wrote: “#Thomasmarkle has every right to tell his story.
“The guy has been slaughtered across the news and social media for two years.”
Another said: “Torn with this, disagree with him selling stories but at the same time think they could’ve handled the whole situation differently…
“Harry knows more than anyone how the media operate yet he didn’t even meet him before the wedding!”
And a third added: “Mr Markle comes across as completely credible, humble & reflective... Maybe he really isn’t the villain of the peace.”