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Meghan Markle and her father, Thomas Markle, broke off their relationship in 2018, before the Suits actress's wedding to Prince Harry. Since then, tabloids have spread various rumors about the causes of their estrangement.
However, as the years passed, the Duchess of Sussex revealed that the reasons for their family rift were more serious than previously thought.
Here is the timeline of the estrangement between Meghan Markle and her father, Thomas Markle.
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Meghan Markle became estranged from her father due to his closeness to the press
Although they used to be very close, the rift between Meghan and her father began before her wedding to Prince Harry, held on May 19, 2018, when she found out that Thomas Markle had collaborated with the tabloid press to create staged paparazzi photos.
This situation did not sit well with Meghan, who in 2021 confessed, during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, that her father had denied his involvement in the photographs to her.
Furthermore, she expressed that it was hard for her to accept what he had done, as she could not imagine doing something that could cause pain to her own child.
"I look at Archie, I think about this baby [on the way], and I honestly cannot imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child. I cannot imagine it. So it's hard for me to reconcile that," she expressed.
Thomas Markle did not attend his daughter's wedding, and it was the now King Charles III who walked her down the aisle halfway.
Following this incident, Thomas Markle continued speaking to the press and revealed that he no longer saw Meghan, that he did not know Harry, and that he had no contact with his grandchildren either.
Meghan Markle reveals the reason for her estrangement from Thomas Markle
In October 2026, it was revealed that Thomas Markle was being investigated by the Philippine police after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., reported to the authorities that he had found child sexual abuse material at his home in Cebu.
Following this revelation, Meghan asserted, through a statement, that she had known about accusations against her father regarding alleged possession of child sexual abuse material since 2018.
"In 2018, a letter was sent to the London Metropolitan Police and the Royal Family and Specialist Protection department. Subsequently, that letter was forwarded to me. In it, concerning and disturbing allegations were made against my father, and I was assured that they were being investigated."
In addition, the Duchess of Sussex ensured that this was the reason she distanced herself from her father and decided to prevent him from having contact with her children, as she wanted to protect them.
"I hope it can now be understood that, despite the distortions spread over the years by certain media outlets, my estrangement from my father and my decision not to allow him to maintain contact with our children followed only one reason: to protect them."
Thomas Markle is arrested for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material
On November 6, it was confirmed that Thomas Markle had been arrested by Florida police, charged with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material, according to EFE.
"Mr. Markle is charged with possession of child sexual abuse material, including photographs in which he appears with underage girls," stated Bill Essayli, First Assistant United States Attorney, in a statement.
[Publicidad]