Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Britain’s Duchess of Sussex, said on Monday that he was prepared to face his daughter in court and that she and her husband Prince Harry had hurt Queen Elizabeth by abruptly stepping back from royal duties.
Harry, the British monarch’s grandson, and Meghan agreed with the queen earlier this month that they would no longer work as royals after they unexpectedly announced they wanted to carve out “a progressive new role” which they hoped to finance themselves.
They are currently with their baby son Archie in Canada and are now planning to spend the majority of their time in North America.
“I think they’ve hurt the queen, I think they’ve hurt the royals, and it just doesn’t work,” Markle told ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme. “I’m a little embarrassed for them and feeling really sorry for the queen.”
“The break from the royals is going to cause far more problems.”
“This decision to make a break from the royals is very confusing, I don’t think anyone understands or can figure out how this happened or why it happened – it makes no sense,” Markle said.
Markle missed the couple’s glittering wedding in 2018 and he has been estranged from his daughter since then. He said he had never met Harry or his grandson.
However, he could face Meghan in court as the Mail on Sunday newspaper, which she is suing over its publication of a private letter she sent to him, is intending to use his evidence in the legal battle.
“If it comes to meeting them in a courtroom, that’s great – at least I finally get to see them, but I don’t want to face off or have a battle with them,” he said.
Harry has accused the tabloid press of bullying his wife, likening their treatment to that which his mother Princess Diana suffered and supporters of the couple say some negative coverage has been fuelled by racism.
However, Markle said he did not think that Meghan had faced racist media coverage in the United Kingdom.
“I really miss my daughter,” Markle said, adding she had “ghosted” him.
“I love my daughter and I certainty would love my grandson and I’d love Harry if I met him, I’m sure,” he said, adding that the prince, the sixth-in-line to the throne, should have come to visit him to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage.
When asked what he would say now to Prince Harry, he said: “Man up and come down and see me.”
REUTERS