⭐ Key Takeaways
- Meghan Markle’s public brand in 2025 focuses heavily on family, warmth, and togetherness—yet her relationship with her father tells a different story.
- Thomas Markle, now 81 and recovering from a leg amputation, says he doesn’t want to die estranged from his daughter.
- Royal commentators argue that showing compassion toward him could protect Meghan’s Hollywood image.
- Meghan reportedly attempted to contact her father but faced obstacles due to press interference.
- Experts believe reconciliation is unlikely, but even a small gesture could improve public perception.
Meghan Markle’s strained relationship with her father is once again making headlines. And according to several royal experts, the timing couldn’t be more awkward as the Duchess continues to market a polished, family-centered public image.
Kinsey Schofield, host of Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered, told Fox News Digital that Meghan has been working hard in 2025 to shape a brand rooted in warmth, wellness, and family values. But her lack of contact with her own father, Thomas Markle, undercuts that narrative.
“It would be in her best interest to show her elderly father, who just lost a limb, some compassion,” Schofield said. “Otherwise, every time we see Meghan and Harry comforting wounded veterans at Invictus, the public will wonder why she couldn’t show that same compassion to her own father.”
Schofield added that Meghan is actively promoting a holiday special highlighting family connections, making the contrast even more visible. At the very least, she noted, it seems reasonable that Thomas be allowed to meet his grandchildren.
Thomas Markle Says He Doesn’t Want to Die Estranged
Thomas Markle, a former Hollywood lighting director, reportedly had his left leg amputated after emergency surgery in the Philippines. He shared with The Mail on Sunday that he fears dying without reconciling with Meghan.
A spokesperson for Meghan, however, told Fox News Digital that the Duchess did manage to send a letter to her father despite difficult circumstances.
The spokesperson said a Daily Mail reporter stationed at Thomas’s bedside has been broadcasting every interaction, making private communication nearly impossible. Meghan’s team claims they relied on trusted intermediaries to ensure her correspondence safely reached him.
This development came just as Meghan’s Netflix holiday special, With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, debuted—part of a larger lifestyle expansion that includes her brand As Ever and her related Netflix series.
Why Thomas Keeps Speaking Out
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich believes Thomas’s repeated interviews stem from a mix of emotional pain and practical need.
“He’s lonely, he misses his daughter, and he misses his grandchildren,” Fordwich said. “He probably also needs the money.”
She added that despite the years of turmoil, he’s still her father—and even a brief private visit would have gone a long way.
Thomas and Meghan have been estranged since her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. While People magazine reported that Meghan attempted to reach him, the Mail claimed she lacked his phone number, and he doesn’t regularly use email. Meghan even called several hospitals trying to locate him.
But according to Fordwich, Meghan’s distrust stems from past incidents: paparazzi photos Thomas staged before the wedding, leaked private letters, and multiple media interviews criticizing her.
Fordwich believes a full reconciliation is unlikely—but the optics of a small gesture could support Meghan’s carefully crafted brand.
A Family Rift With No Easy Fix
The Mail on Sunday reported that Thomas first told its reporter—not his other children—about his leg amputation. Fordwich said Meghan feels just as betrayed as her father claims to feel.
“The biggest irony,” she added, “is that while Meghan and Harry don’t trust Thomas, that’s exactly how the royal family views Meghan and Harry.”
Thomas Markle Jr. told the outlet that their father’s leg was removed after a blood clot cut off circulation, turning his foot “black and blue.” He remains in the ICU recovering from what doctors called a “life-or-death” emergency.
Thomas also suffered a stroke in 2022 and has a history of heart issues. Although he says Meghan cut him off, he maintains he has always loved her.
Schofield argued that Thomas shouldn’t be criticized for opening up to the media if Prince Harry does the same.
“If we’re going to fault Thomas for speaking publicly about family matters, then we have to hold Harry to the same standard.”
She added that Thomas has kept the same phone number for years, hoping Meghan might someday reconnect.
Meghan’s Perspective
In her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said she “lost” her father once he started cooperating with the tabloids before her wedding. She explained that when she confronted him about staging photos, he denied it—something she struggled to reconcile even more deeply after becoming a mother herself.
Her half-sister, Samantha Markle, later admitted she arranged the paparazzi photos. Meghan remains estranged from both siblings, who have continued to criticize her publicly.
With more attention on Meghan’s personal family conflicts, Schofield warned that her highly curated Hollywood image may clash with real-world tensions. In earlier remarks, she noted that Meghan and Harry’s cultural influence has diminished since their exit from royal duties five years ago.
The couple, who now live in Montecito, California, stepped back as senior royals in 2020 due to relentless media pressure and a lack of institutional support. While Meghan continues to build a commercial brand, Harry has expressed interest in repairing ties with the royal family—an ambition that may not align with Meghan’s business strategy.
Conclusion: A Public Image at a Crossroads
The heart of this story is less about scandal and more about the universal tension between family pain and public perception. Meghan Markle has spent the last several years crafting a brand centered on compassion, healing, and emotional wellness—values many people genuinely admire. But as her father’s health declines, the contrast between her public message and private estrangement becomes harder for the public to ignore.
Whether Meghan decides to reach out more directly—or keeps the boundary firmly in place—will shape not only her relationship with her father but also how her brand is viewed in a Hollywood landscape where authenticity is increasingly expected.
No matter which side one sympathizes with, it’s clear that unresolved family wounds rarely stay private forever, especially when fame is involved.