Meghan Markle opens up about dad Thomas Markle's 'betrayal'

Meghan Markle’s estranged relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, may have made headlines all over the world after he dropped out of walking her down the aisle at her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

But now, the Duchess of Sussex has opened up about the ‘betrayal’ for the first time, in her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Oprah
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Photo: Getty Images

While the topic of Meghan Markle’s controversial family didn’t come up in the CBS special, Oprah shared an outtake the next day, of the moment she asked Meghan about her dad.

Meghan said she did everything she could to protect both of her parents in the lead up to her wedding as there was an ‘obsession’ with tracking them down.

When Oprah asked Meghan if it felt like betrayal when she found out her father was working with the tabloids, Meghan responded: "We called my dad, and I asked him, and he said, 'No, absolutely not.' I said, 'You know, the Institution has never intervened for anything for us, but they can try to go in and kill this story. But if they do this once, we're not going to be able to use that same leverage to protect our own kids one day'.

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"I said, 'We won't be able to protect our own kids one day,' and I said, 'I just need you to tell me. If you tell me the truth, we can help.' And he wasn't able to do that. And that for me has really resonated, especially now as a mother."

Meghan said now she looks at Archie and she can’t imagine doing anything to internationally cause pain to her child.

“I can’t imagine it, so it’s hard for me to reconcile that.”

Thomas Markle talks to Piers and Susanna about wanting a relationship with his daughter Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on 'Good Morning Britain'.
Thomas Markle has appeared on many TV shows talking about his daughter and son-in-law. Photo: Good Morning Britain

"Everyone has accountability. They hunted my mom down," Meghan said of her mother, Doria Ragland.

"You never heard her say a word. She's remained in silent dignity for four years watching me go through this."

When the conversation moved to Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, Meghan blasted her ‘tell-all’ book.

"I think it would be very hard to tell all when you don't know me," she said.

"This is a very different situation than my dad, right. When you talk about betrayal, betrayal comes from someone that you have a relationship with. I don't feel comfortable talking about people that I really don't know."

Meghan stressed that she grew up "as an only child," adding: "I wished I had siblings."

"That's why I'm so excited to be pregnant, so Archie has someone."

"The last time I saw [Samantha] must have been at least 18, 19 years ago."

She also said Samantha only changed her surname back to Markle when she began to date Prince Harry.

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