When Meghan Markle revealed she was pregnant in October, her estranged family were quick to comment. Her father Thomas told the press of his ‘excitement’, while her half-sister Samantha Markle used the opportunity – once again – to berate Meghan for ‘mistreating’ her father. And then they fell silent.
Until last week, when Samantha made the shocking announcement that she is writing a ‘tell-all’ book, entitled Shadows Of The Duchess, to expose what she claims are Meghan’s lies. The book’s publication will coincide with Meghan’s due date.
Meanwhile Thomas, Grazia can exclusively reveal, is also refusing to remain silent in the run-up to the royal baby’s birth. Thomas is praying Meghan will give him one last chance this holiday season,’ says an insider. ‘He’s clinging to the fact that Christmas was such a special time for them growing up, and hoping against hope that her heart will soften and she’ll at least pick up the phone and patch things up.
‘He’s growing impatient and there’s talk of more blabbing if he doesn’t get some encouragement very soon. When you see Samantha piping up with more ramblings, it’s usually a signal he’s not far behind.’
The news came as Meghan attended last week’s Royal Variety performance, before she met with victims of the Grenfell tragedy in a North London kitchen. At the same time, there were headlines claiming Meghan prepares her speeches for ‘days’ and ‘insists on writing them herself’.
Her father speaking out again could mean more drama – plus calamitous headlines – is likely to follow the arrival of Meghan’s baby. After the wedding, the duchess’s dysfunctional family were outspoken, with Thomas telling the papers how devastated he was that his daughter had cut all contact after he arranged a disastrous photo shoot with the paparazzi and failed to walk Meghan down the aisle, apparently because he had a heart attack.
The Palace remained mute on the matter of Meghan’s family, despite the headlines widely being billed as the greatest crisis to hit the royals since the media storm after Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s marriage broke down. The silent strategy was said to have come from Meghan, while Prince Harry has still never met Thomas (despite many royal observers insisting that the couple could resolve the damage with a discreet visit to his home in Mexico).
Last month, it was revealed that tensions before the wedding meant Harry would ‘raise his voice’ and become ‘petulant and short-tempered’ with staff. At one point, he was said to have shouted, ‘What Meghan wants, she gets!’ It was later reported that the Queen ‘warned’ Harry about ‘difficult’ Meghan, and that the row had been caused over which tiara Meghan wanted to wear on the day. The Queen apparently said, ‘Meghan cannot have whatever she wants.’
But, with the arrival of the baby, is a new strategy being brokered to deal with the duchess’s disgruntled relatives? Quite simply: no. ‘I don’t think they’ll make any special allowances for Thomas,’ says royal biographer Robert Jobson, who has just spent three weeks with the royal couple on their tour of Australia and New Zealand. ‘I can’t see him being involved at all. When the news of the pregnancy broke, I asked Harry and Meghan whether Thomas had been alerted. But they just said, “No comment.” So that’s the way they’re dealing with things and that’s how they will continue. There’s a reason for her rejection, but we don’t know what it is. It seems very complicated; families are difficult. But this one won’t go away.’
Samantha may pose an even greater problem. ‘I don’t think their relationship is resolvable,’ adds Robert. ‘It’s gone on far too long.’ He believes Harry and Thomas, conversely, ‘need a conversation. Thomas has been badly treated and he’s made his position clear. It’s sometimes as though Meghan doesn’t want anything to do with her past. But, the fact remains: he’s her dad.’
According to the first source, ‘Thomas is now praying for a Christmas reprieve. He can act bullish after being frozen out in such a brutal fashion, and he goes through moments where he wants to speak out again. But then common sense takes over and he realises it’ll only drive him further away. He wants a call by Christmas and is desperate not to give up hope.’