How the British press destroyed Meghan Markle's relationship with her father Thomas Markle before she was even part of the royal family
- Meghan Markle and her father Thomas Markle have been estranged since before the duchess' royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
- The pair last spoke through a series of text messages before the wedding, in which Thomas said he wouldn't make it to the ceremony after it was discovered he staged paparazzi photos.
- Members of the press and public have since pitted Thomas and Meghan against each other, keen to attribute blame for their fall-out.
- However, in new legal documents obtained by Insider, Meghan says the Mail on Sunday was the reason her father refused to show up to her wedding, saying he was "so publicly shamed" by the publication about his staged photos.
- According to ITV royal editor Chris Ship, Meghan's lawyers said in a remote pre-trial hearing that the Mail on Sunday "caused the dispute" between the duchess and her father.
- The Mail on Sunday did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
"Speaking to the press WILL backfire, trust me Tom. Only we can help you, as we have been trying from day one."
That was one of the final text messages ever sent by the Duke of Sussex to Thomas Markle, just five days before his royal wedding to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018.
There's no ignoring the irony that since then, the press has been one of Thomas' only means of communication with his daughter and son-in-law.
We all know how the story goes — that Thomas never showed at St George's Chapel that day. We know about the fake paparazzi pictures; about Thomas' heart procedure; and the legal battle between Meghan and the Mail on Sunday after it published excerpts from a letter she wrote to her father after the wedding.
Thomas and Meghan have been estranged since 2018, and different versions of what unfolded between them have floated around in the media ever since.
Now, with both Meghan and Thomas making statements for the Mail on Sunday court case, it's apparent that neither one of them is to blame for the breakdown of their relationship. Here's everything we know so far.
Meghan says Thomas didn't attend the wedding because he was 'so publicly shamed' by the Mail on Sunday
Thomas and Meghan reportedly had a good relationship before the royal wedding.
"Meghan loves her dad," a source who claimed to be close to the former actress told People magazine in May 2018.
"Like any father-daughter relationship, there have been ups and downs over the years. But they are in a good place now," they added.
However, that "good place" turned rocky after the press started invading Thomas' private life. The Mirror photographed Thomas leaving a store, carrying cigarettes and a four-pack of Heineken.
Then, less than a week before the wedding, the Mail on Sunday outed Thomas for staging fake paparazzi photos.
The posed photos showed Thomas getting ready for the wedding. There were images of him studying "Images of Great Britain: A Pictorial Tour Through History," attending a tuxedo fitting, and photos of an outdoor workout session.
Thomas said he was approached to take the photos in an interview with "Good Morning Britain."
"This was a presentation to me to change my image because for the last year photos of me were always derogatory. They'd take pictures of my hand grabbing beer, in my car, taking the garbage out," Thomas said.
"They'd take all kinds of pictures of me to make me look negative, so I thought this would be a good way to improve my look. Obviously, all that went to hell. I feel bad about it, I apologize for it, and that's all I can do," he added.
At the time, Meghan didn't address the paparazzi pictures. Instead, the soon-to-be-duchess released a vague statement confirming her father would not be at the wedding, saying that he needed to "focus on his health."
"Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health," she said.
"I would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support. Please know how much Harry and I look forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday."
Meghan seemed to imply that, despite the controversy surrounding Thomas, the only reason he wouldn't walk her down the aisle was because he had been admitted to hospital for a heart procedure just days prior.
Now, almost two years later, the Duchess of Sussex says this wasn't the reason at all.
"His refusal to attend the wedding on 14 May was a result of him being so publicly shamed by the Defendant for having staged paparazzo photos, a fact which the Defendant deliberately seeks to ignore in the Defence," a spokesperson for Markle wrote in new legal documents relating to her current lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday.
Thomas confirmed this in his own statement for the court, saying he wrote a text message to Meghan when the staged paparazzi photos broke.
He "stated that he was sorry; that he loved her and that he would not be attending the wedding; and that he was going to make a public apology to the Claimant and Prince Harry," a legal spokesperson for the Mail on Sunday wrote in court documents.
Meghan's lawyers say the publication 'caused the dispute' between herself and her father
Meghan's legal team have also released a series of text exchanges between the couple and Thomas, in which Harry warned Thomas not to engage with the press and also offered personal security guards to help him deal with the paparazzi intrusion.
At a pre-trial hearing held remotely last week, the Duchess of Sussex's lawyers claimed that the Mail on Sunday "caused the dispute" between Meghan and her father, according to ITV royal editor Chris Ship.
"Meghan's lawyers tell the High Court the Mail on Sunday was also the publication responsible for 'harassing' Thomas Markle in the first place and 'exposing him to the world as a royal scammer' over those staged paparazzi photographs," tweeted Chris Ship, who listened in on the hearing.
"Therefore, Meghan claimed to the High Court that the Mail on Sunday actually 'caused the very dispute' between her and her father," he added.
Despite this, Thomas still allowed the same publication to publish excerpts of a private letter his daughter wrote to him shortly after the royal wedding, in which she asked him to stop interacting with the press. He has also assisted the newspaper's defense team by providing information to be used in court documents.
The Mail on Sunday did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Thomas Markle has been 'manipulated' by the media, according to Meghan
Although Meghan and Thomas have not seen each other since the wedding, Thomas did reply to Meghan's now-infamous letter, asking for a photo-op with her and Harry so that the press would leave him alone.
"I'm human and I'm sorry! How much longer must I say it?" wrote Thomas, in a letter obtained by the Mail.
"I wish we could get together and take a photo for the whole world to see. If you and Harry don't like it? Fake it for one photo."
However, Meghan says that her father's letter was edited by the Mail on Sunday as it included damaging information about the way one of its journalists treated Thomas Markle.
A legal spokesperson for the duchess included some excerpts from Thomas' letter to Meghan which had been left out of the original article, as follows:
- "The next day [he] announced and bragged that he got a nine hour interview. He said a few things I said in confidence, but 85% were lies and bullsh--! I called him and said he was a thief, a liar, and a coward and I would GET EVEN!"
- "When I asked if I tried to borrow money from you, three days before the wedding? I said, 'no I did not, but I know she would have helped me if I would have asked.' I made a comment about Tom Jr. not paying me back, 'not one red cent,' and they changed it to Meghan's dad complaining that his kids won't pay him back one red cent!"
- "I never said anything about your grandma, never! I know you took care of her, I don't know where that comes from? I appreciate that you have always been concerned for my health and you were trying to get me help."
However, Meghan's lawyer added that they have omitted parts of the letter to "protect Mr. Markle's reputation."
Although the Mail on Sunday is yet to comment on Thomas Markle's letter, a spokesperson previously told Insider that the publication "categorically deny" that the duchess' letter "was edited in any way that changed its meaning."
It's worth noting that Thomas Markle has since continued to give interviews with the press, and even starred in a Channel 5 documentary about his relationship with Meghan.
The pair have differing opinions on who "ghosted" who. While Thomas says through the press is the only way he can reach his daughter, Meghan insists in the court documents that her phone number has never changed.
Nonetheless, while there are some things we will never know about their relationship, one thing is for certain: Their fall-out could have been prevented.
Both the press and the public seem intent on taking sides, offering up their opinions on whether Thomas or Meghan is the true villain in this scenario.
You could argue that these people are missing the point — that the true villain here, the British press, was the thing to drive a wedge between them in the first place.
Meghan herself has admitted this. And as to whether she reconciles with her father when the court case is over? Well, that's something not even the tabloids will be able to predict.
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