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Thomas Markle was “naive” before the wedding, Lorraine says
Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., was reportedly rushed to hospital Monday night after suffering a possible stroke. Unable to speak, Thomas was forced to communicate with pen and paper when he was loaded into an ambulance in Mexico. The former lighting director has since been transferred to a hospital in California.
Shortly after Thomas was admitted to hospital, his eldest daughter Samantha called the Duchess of Sussex about her perceived “negligence”.
Speaking on Dan Wootton Tonight on Wednesday, Samantha said: “None of us have heard of Meghan – that’s carelessness.
“He’s been through so much. Two heart attacks, a pandemic and now a stroke.”
She asked her half-sister to stop “watching and doing nothing.”
Harry was slammed for his “failure” to support his father-in-law early on. (Image: Getty Images)
Meghan and Harry stepped down from their roles in the royal family in 2020. (Image: Getty Images)
Samantha added, “If she can’t find it in her heart or have the moral conscience to step forward, then shame on her,” claiming that her father “didn’t have much time left.”
Thomas’ health scares mean he can’t make his planned trip to the UK for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next week.
He hoped to show his “respect for the Queen” and possibly facilitate a reunion with his daughter and the introduction of his son-in-law and grandchildren.
Meghan and Thomas have reportedly not been in touch since their marriage to Prince Harry in 2018.
Samantha spoke to Dan Wootton on Wednesday. (Image: Getty Images)
Her father didn’t attend the royal wedding after a PR blunder that saw Thomas stage paparazzi photos.
He also revealed that he suffered a heart attack just days before his daughter’s big day.
Richard Kay, royal expert and columnist, claimed Thomas was not well supported when Meghan became a member of the British royal family and said Harry’s initial “failure” to support his new father-in-law was “stunning”.
He wrote for the Daily Mail on Wednesday: “It seemed then [at the time of the Royal Wedding] – and it now seems remarkable – that no reasonable effort was made to prepare Mr Markle for the news, provide an adviser to brief him or, better yet, fly him to London and place him in a royal home where he is staying previously could have acclimatized the wedding.
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Meghan and Harry haven’t had any contact with Thomas since the wedding. (Image: Express.co.uk)
“But perhaps the most startling failure of all was Harry’s. Even now, four years later, it’s hard to understand why Harry didn’t meet his girlfriend’s father in person like any future son-in-law would.
“There must have been countless opportunities for Harry (and Meghan) to pay a private visit to their father – long before he started giving interviews.”
Thomas has participated in several high-profile media interviews since the wedding.
He stated he will continue to do so until Meghan gets in touch.
Thomas told Dan Wootton last month he would “love to reach out” to his daughter and her family, to “speak with them and try to figure out what went wrong and how we can fix it.”
His hospitalization has put renewed pressure on the Duchess to reconcile with her father.
On Wednesday, Lorraine Kelly opened up about the status of Meghan’s relationship with Thomas on her ITV show.
She said: “It’s really sad. I think he was incredibly naive, he was taken advantage of before the marriage, you have to say that.
Meghan and Harry are returning for the anniversary but will not appear on the balcony. (Image: Getty Images)
“I think maybe it’s time to fix some of those bridges.
“You never know what’s going on in families and it’s very easy to judge from the outside.
“But it just seems very sad, when he’s this sick I’m sure she wants to see him and send her love to him.”