Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Duchess Meghan Markle, has made a dramatic and emotional plea to his daughter to reconcile their fractured relationship. In a trailer for an upcoming interview with Australia’s 7NEWS Spotlight, Thomas is seen holding childhood photos of his daughter and asking, “How can I fix this?” The 78-year-old, who suffered a stroke last year and is reportedly in poor health, hopes that his public plea will help him reconnect with his daughter.
The interview promises to reveal “treasured memories, secret tapes, and home truths,” and will also feature Meghan’s half-siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr. In the trailer, Samantha claims, “She would still be a waitress if it wasn’t for Dad.” The siblings can be seen watching some of the tapes together.
Thomas was originally set to walk his daughter down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel during her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. However, he was caught secretly collaborating with paparazzi to stage photos that showed him being measured for a wedding suit. This led to a rift in their relationship, which Meghan later revealed was exacerbated by tabloid culture.
Their relationship took a further turn for the worse after Meghan accused Thomas of leaking a private letter she had written him after the wedding. In last year’s Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, she spoke about the alleged heartbreaking moment.
Thomas underwent heart surgery shortly after the wedding, citing the stress of the strained relationship as the cause. Despite their troubled history, it is clear that Thomas still hopes for a reconciliation with his daughter.