Meghan did not let her father see her children to protect them
The article explores the strained relationship between the Duchess of Sussex and her father, Thomas Markle, suggesting that Meghan's decision to cut contact was a protective measure for her children. It traces the history of the public fallout and the media's role in the family's estrangement.
Why it matters
The public nature of the Markle family conflict highlights the intersection of celebrity privacy, media ethics, and personal family dynamics.
Image source, Getty Images By Jonny Dymond Royal correspondent Published 23 October 2026 Before today's allegations and the statement from the Duchess of Sussex there was not much at all between Meghan and her father.
Quite when the duchess last saw her father Thomas isn't clear. By the time her engagement was announced in 2017, a once-close relationship had cooled.
He had moved to Mexico following his retirement in the US and then, as he spoke freely to the media before and after her 2018 wedding, the relationship went into the deep freeze.
He said she barely called as he underwent heart surgery, the duchess's people briefed that she had. Then they went silent as he complained in interview after interview that he no longer saw his daughter, had never met Harry nor, later, his grandchildren.
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