18 September 2023 , 07:55
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Thomas Markle Snr has said "there is no excuse" for his daughter Meghan Markle to keep him from seeing his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The retired director made a passionate plea to the Duchess of Sussex as he begged her to allow him to see his young grandchildren. Thomas, who turns 80 next year, has suffered from ill health in recent years and was rushed to hospital last year because of a stroke.
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, claimed to have done "nothing wrong". This comes after he was caught up in a paparazzi scandal, leaving his daughter feeling "betrayed".
"I've done nothing wrong, there's nothing. I've been a really loving father and she knows that and there's no excuse for her to treat me this way, there's no excuse to treat the king that way as well," Thomas said.
Thomas Markle Snr begged to see his grandchildrenSpeaking to hosts Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid, Thomas admitted he still hasn't seen his grandkids. He also claimed that Meghan and her husband Prince Harry made "no attempt at all" to reach out to him following his stroke last year.
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He added: "I'm very upset about it as well because this is a cruel thing to do to a grandparent, not just me but to the King as well, to deny the right to see a grandchild." Thomas also begged his daughter to "put the past behind us and allow me to see my grandkids."
Despite her parents divorcing early in her life, Meghan had a good relationship with her father growing up, but things have gotten increasingly tense between the pair. She has reportedly not seen him since before her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
As their wedding approached, Thomas began to make headlines. He became the centre of a media scandal after he was caught staging paparazzi pictures preparing for the royal wedding in exchange for payment.
Meghan Markle has a strained relationship with her father (Netflix)While Kensington Palace had initially confirmed that Meghan's father would be at the wedding to give her away, he later said he would no longer be going after the fallout form the paparazzi photos. Thomas said the pictures had made him look "stupid and hammy".
The Palace later confirmed he would not be attending his daughter's wedding, however, they cited health issues as the reason. Thomas was reported to have suffered a heart attack. A statement from Meghan, which was distributed by the Palace, said: "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."
Meghan then opened up about her relationship with her father during her infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. She admitted she had felt "betrayed" by her father after he lied to her about speaking to the press.
The Duchess of Sussex also explained that becoming a mother had made her look at the situation in a new light. "I look at Archie, I think about this child, and I genuinely can't imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child. So it's hard for me to reconcile that," she said.