Is Meghan Markle's Father Talking Less or Just Less Relevant? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, Sr., made a series of headlines for all the wrong reasons as his daughter was set to marry Prince Harry. While it seemed that Markle Sr. couldn’t keep his mouth shut and was the center of several controversies for a while, things have gone much quieter lately.

Is Markle Sr. actually keeping quiet on purpose, or is he simply getting less attention because he is less relevant now? Let’s take a closer look and find out.

Thomas Markle had a good relationship with his daughter

Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Markle Sr. and the former Suits actress had a good relationship when she was younger. Even though Markle Sr. and the duchess’s mother split up when their daughter was very young, he remained active in his daughter’s life.

In fact, when Markle Sr. won $750,000 in the California lottery in 1990, he used some of his winnings to send his daughter to a private, all-girls school. Giving her an advantage in life seemed to be incredibly important to him, and before marrying into the royal family, the now-duchess frequently wrote on her blog about spending time with her father as a child. Markle Sr. worked as a lighting director on television shows and often brought his daughter along with him to work on sets: She credits her father with instilling in her a strong work ethic.

When did things sour between Meghan Markle and Thomas Markle, Sr.?

While this once-solid relationship seemed intact as Markle planned her royal wedding and intended to include her father, things took a turn for the worst when it was revealed that Markle Sr. had intentionally posed for some tabloid photographs and then sold them to media outlets. To make matters even worse, he went on Good Morning Britain in an attempt to apologize for the behavior but instead revealed Prince Harry’s feelings about both President Trump and the Brexit situation.

While the statements were relatively harmless on their own, the royal family is forbidden from weighing in on political matters, and what may have seemed like an innocent statement to Markle Sr. was actually quite a big deal. Amid these publicity-fueled antics, Markle Sr. was not in attendance at the royal wedding, though he claims his ill health was primarily to blame. He had suffered two heart attacks and could not attend.

The comments were sparked by self-defense

Markle Sr.’s comments certainly were not helping his daughter and her adjustment to her new role as a member of the royal family, but his attempts to prove himself in the media were sparked by self-defense. Markle Sr. reportedly hated the way that he was portrayed in the Lifetime biopic about his daughter, and he wanted to set the record straight and provide a better public image of himself.

The Duchess of Sussex eventually wrote her father a letter begging him to stop talking to the media, and he seems that he is mostly heeding that advice. Perhaps he learned that trying to create a better image of himself was actually making things worse, or perhaps he simply wanted to get back on his daughter’s good side.

Thomas Markle has stayed out of the headlines

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This morning, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was christened in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle at an intimate service officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are so happy to share the joy of this day with members of the public who have been incredibly supportive since the birth of their son. They thank you for your kindness in welcoming their first born and celebrating this special moment. Their Royal Highnesses feel fortunate to have enjoyed this day with family and the godparents of Archie. Their son, Archie, was baptised wearing the handmade replica of the royal christening gown which has been worn by royal infants for the last 11 years. The original Royal Christening Robe, made of fine Honiton lace lined with white satin, was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1841 and first worn by her eldest daughter. It was subsequently worn for generations of Royal christenings, including The Queen, her children and her grandchildren until 2004, when The Queen commissioned this handmade replica, in order for the fragile historic outfit to be preserved, and for the tradition to continue. Photo credit: Chris Allerton ©️SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 6, 2019 at 8:14am PDT

For the most part, Markle Sr. has stayed out of recent headlines. He did; however, make some comments following pictures of the christening of Prince Harry and Markle’s son: Archie. While Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, was present for the pictures, Markle Sr. was conspicuously absent.

When asked if he wanted to attend, he responded:

“I was an altar boy at age 12, a confirmed member of the Queen’s church at age 14, and Archie is my new grandson, so of course I would have enjoyed being there for the blessing, wishing Archie and his parents health and happiness.”

While Markle Sr. does seem to be still held at arm’s length when it comes to his famous daughter’s personal life, it also seems like he is being more careful with the words he chooses to share with the press. Perhaps, in time, the two will be able to mend the gap in their relationship and start off on a new path with fewer media outbursts.

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