MEGHAN Markle’s dad has claimed Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are being “denied” a relationship with their cousins.
Thomas Markle, who is estranged from the Duchess of Sussex, claimed his grandkids will one day realise “all the things they have missed out on.”
Thomas said their absence was particularly felt with the recent Trooping the Colour ceremony, where Prince William’s kids – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, stood proudly with their family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Meghan’s dad said the image stirred feelings of “pity” in Thomas for his own grandkids.
Speaking to New Zealand Woman’s Weekly, he shared: “It struck me as very sad that Meghan and Harry‘s kids are being denied the right to know their cousins, who look like fantastic children, or take part in things like Trooping the Colour, which is their birthright.
“They are getting to the age where they will start to ask questions, as all kids do.
“I find myself wondering how Archie and Lilbet will feel in a few years’ time when they realise all the things they have missed out on.”
According to the Mirror, Thomas longs to meet his grandkids for the first time as he nears his 80th birthday, and finds it hard to understand why he hasn’t even met Prince Harry yet.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex currently live in a £12million mansion in Monteico, California, which is around 400km from where Thomas lives in Rosarito, Mexico.
Thomas claims he fears he will die before ever getting the chance to see them.
He added that even a photograph of his grandkids would bring him joy, according to New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.
The former lighting director also joked that he never thought he’d have something in common with King Charles, who has also barely met his Sussex grandkids.
Royal author Tom Quinn claimed: “He [King Charles] is desperate to see them and hates the idea that Archie and Lilibet will not remember him as the warm, friendly grandfather he wants to be.”
Meghan and Thomas fell out after he posed for paparazzi pictures ahead of Harry and Meghan’s wedding, and King Charles ended up walking Meghan down the aisle.
Meghan’s father has been estranged from his daughter since suffering two heart attacks on the eve of her wedding to Harry.
Thomas admits the snaps were a mistake and says he has apologised repeatedly for them.
Meghan Markle on how dad Thomas Markle 'betrayed' her
IN her candid interview with Oprah, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her relationship with her dad and said she was left feeling crushed when he lied to her before the wedding.
Meghan said she tried to “protect” her parents from the “media frenzy” sparked due to an “obsession about anything in my world”.
It was the first time Meghan has publicly discussed her dad, who she has not spoken to since before her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018.
Thomas, an ex-Hollywood lighting director, has spoken about her daughter’s relationship publicly and described their decision to walk away from the royals as embarrassing.
Their relationship soured in the run-up to their 2018 Windsor Castle wedding, when he admitted agreeing to stage pictures of himself.
Meghan was asked if it felt like a “betrayal” when she found out her dad was working with the Press, and replied: “I’m trying to decide if I’m comfortable even talking about that.
“It was… if we were going to use the word betrayal.”
Meghan added: “Because when I asked him, when we were told by the comms team, this is a story that was going to be coming out, which, by the way, the tabloids had apparently known for a month or so and decided to hold until the Sunday before our wedding because they wanted to create drama, which is also a really key point in all this.
“We called my dad and I asked him and he said, no, absolutely not.”
Oprah then said: “He said no, absolutely not. He hadn’t been talking to them. So he basically lied to you.”
The full transcript of the interview can be read here.
Meghan lived full-time with her father from the age of 11 while her mum Doria travelled for work.
Thomas said Meghan grew up on sets with him and got her Hollywood start through a director he knew.
Thomas turns 80 on July 18 and said the “one person I want to hear from most” is Meghan, although he doesn’t think she will contact him.
Thomas plans to spend the day with his son Thomas Jr at his Mexico home and will also call his eldest daughter Samantha, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and is unable to travel from Florida.
