Thomas Markle Considers Legal Action Against Meghan Markle & Prince Harry
It doesn't sound like things have gotten any better between Thomas Markle and his daughter, Meghan Markle. In a video interview with Fox News, the Duchess of Sussex's estranged father revealed that he was planning to petition the court to be allowed to visit his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet. We do not think this is going to help with the growing rift between the two.
Thomas and Meghan have been estranged since shortly after her 2018 wedding.
It seems like staged press photos were the final straw to break the relationship between Meghan and her father. Back before she and Prince Harry tied the knot, it was revealed that Thomas was working with the press to sell photos of himself reading news about his daughter's upcoming wedding. The news was frustrating for the royals, who had been issuing statements to the press asking the media to respect the privacy of Meghan's family in the days leading up to the big day.
They didn't appear to have been very close prior to the incident with the photos.
While sources told People that Meghan and Thomas had normal "ups and downs" during their relationship, it doesn't seem like they were all that close to begin with. After the lies surrounding the paparazzi photos, Meghan told Oprah Winfrey she felt betrayed by her father, which is likely why she's kept herself and her kids away from him in the years that followed.
Thomas is likely trying to use a California family code to see his grandkids.
During the Fox News interview, Thomas said he was going to pursue legal action in order to get to meet his grandchildren. Under California family law, grandparents can request visitation rights when it comes to their grandchildren, but it's a little more complicated than just going to court.
According to a California court website, Thomas would need to be able to prove that he had a pre-existing relationship with his grandchildren and that granting a grandparent visitation will be in the child's best interest.
From what we know at this point, it doesn't sound like Thomas has either of those things going for him at the moment.
He also had a message for the royal family during his interview.
It sounds like Thomas is worried that his grandkids are going to end up in the middle of a battle between Meghan and Harry and the royal family. During his interview, he begged the royals not to hurt the kids over what he called the "bad behavior" of his daughter and son-in-law.
"Archie and Lili are small children. They’re not politics. They’re not pawns. They’re not part of the game," Thomas said. "And they’re also royal and entitled to the same rights as any other royal."
The interview ended with an invitation for the royals to come visit Thomas at his beachside home.
Although it sounded like the comment was made as a joke after a prompt from the reporter interviewing Thomas, he did extend an invitation to the UK royals to come visit him in his home. We don't think they'll be taking him up on his offer anytime soon, but it was a nice gesture.
While it does seem like he has a genuine interest in meeting his grandchildren, we're afraid that Thomas has likely gone about this whole situation the wrong way. In fact, this latest interview may end up being the thing that causes Meghan to permanently distance herself from her father.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
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