Thomas Markle issued another public plea to his estranged daughter.
While Meghan Markle hasn’t spoken with her father in years, Thomas is desperate to meet his grandchildren – Archie and Lilibet, the two children Meghan shares with Prince Harry. In a new interview, Thomas went as far as to suggest that he could sue the couple for the right to see the little prince and princess.
Thomas, who struggles with speech after suffering a stroke last year, told “Good Morning Britain” that he hadn’t seen Meghan and Harry in five years, and that the last time they spoke was when he was hospitalized ahead of their 2018 wedding.
“I still haven’t seen my grandkids,” he said, “and that’s what this is about. I want to see my grandkids, and I think the king would like to see his grandkids as well.”
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Meghan Markle and estranged father Thomas Markle (Chris Jackson/Pool/Getty Images/Good Morning Britain/YouTube)
He is, of course, referring to King Charles, who also has an estranged relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
When asked if he felt heartbroken over the state of his relationship with his daughter, he agreed, adding, “I’m very upset as well because this is a cruel thing to do to a grandparent, not just to me but to the king of England as well.”
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Thomas was asked what message he’d like to pass along to his daughter, and he answered, “Put the past behind us, let me see my grandkids. In the state of California, I can actually sue to see them, but I don’t want to do that.”
Thomas Markle has been estranged from his daughter, Meghan, for nearly five years. (Getty Images | 7News Spotlight)
Celebrity divorce lawyer Christopher C. Melcher, partner at Walzer Melcher & Yoda, told Fox News Digital that Meghan’s father may not be so lucky when it comes to filing a lawsuit to see Archie and Lilibet.
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“Grandparents may have legal rights to visitation in California, but the court must balance that request against the fundamental right of the parents to decide who can see their child,” Melcher said.
Citing California Family Code sections 3104 (b), Melcher said, “There is no right for a grandparent to sue for visitation over a grandchild while the parents are married.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wave from the Ascot Landau Carriage during their star-studded wedding in 2018. (Aaron Chown)
He added, “When the parents have separated, and they jointly oppose the visitation request by the grandparent, the court must presume that the visitation is not in the best interests of the child.”
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Melcher clarified, “Thomas Markle has no right to sue for visitation in California because Harry and Meghan are married. Only if Harry and Meghan [separate] could Thomas apply for grandparent visitation but, if Harry and Meghan jointly opposed the request, the court would deny the visitation.”
“For Thomas to threaten court action to see his grandchildren is not the way to have a relationship,” Melcher said. “Harry and Meghan have the right to decide who sees their children, and the remarks by Thomas validate their decision to exclude him.”
Thomas said he’d “done nothing wrong” and that he was a “really loving father,” which he said Meghan knows.
Meghan Markle is accompanied by then-Prince Charles at her wedding to Prince Harry in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018, in Windsor, England. (Jonathan Brady)
“There’s no excuse to treat me this way,” he said. “There’s no excuse to treat the king that way as well … no excuse to treat grandparents that way.”
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He also called himself a “victim” because he’d been “set up” to look bad before Meghan and Harry’s wedding – he maintains that he hasn’t done anything wrong.
Thomas went on to say that as he was raising Meghan and keeping in touch with her through her young adult years, “I never saw the kind of woman she turned into. I’m shocked to this date to tell you that because she’s not the person I knew.”
He wasn’t sure if Harry or Meghan was to “blame” for her change in behavior, but regardless, he said that he loves her and will love her “forever.”
“Let me have a little peace,” he said. ” Forgive me, I guess.”
Oprah Winfrey interviews Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a special in 2021 where they revealed their struggles with royal life. (Harpo Productions)
He also said that Meghan and Harry live in their home in California like recluses and that he believes it would be best for the children to move back to England and reclaim their rightful spots in the royal family.
For years, Meghan’s father has been begging her to get back in touch with him, and she clearly has no interest. During her 2021 interview with Oprah, she stated that he’d “betrayed” her by speaking with tabloids.
She said that she couldn’t “imagine doing anything to hurt my child,” adding, “I can’t reconcile that.”
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