Alongside her husband Prince Harry and their two children, Meghan Markle is gearing up for the family’s much-anticipated return to the UK this week, as it’s confirmed they’ll reunite with the royals for the first time in two years.
But while their visit and the Jubilee celebrations have created a buzz of excitement for fans, there was fresh drama for the couple last week after it emerged that Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle Snr, had suffered a major stroke that’s reportedly left him unable to talk.
The 77-year-old former lighting director is believed to have suffered the stroke after falling over while shopping near his home in Rosarito, Mexico.
Thomas’ health scare follows a major heart attack weeks before the wedding of Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, in 2018.
Meghan had been extremely close to him as a child, and the Duchess of Sussex had repeatedly doted on her “Daddy” in the past through her now defunct blog, The Tig.
But their relationship soured before Meghan’s wedding when she discovered he’d been paid for staged photographs of him trying on wedding suits.
At the time he denied the claims, but just weeks later he appeared on Good Morning Britain, publicly begging his daughter to get in touch. Their relationship deteriorated rapidly and by the end of 2018, was virtually non-existent.
In February 2019, Meghan finally responded, sending a letter to her dad, which he then leaked to the media – ending relations for good.
Meghan claimed her dad had, “broken my heart into a million pieces” for causing “unwarranted pain” and begged him to “let us live our lives in peace”.
Before falling ill, Thomas revealed he had planned to travel to the UK to attend the Jubilee celebrations, with royal biographer Tom Bower revealing Thomas hoped to visit Buckingham Palace to beg his daughter to let him see Archie, three, and Lilibet, who’s about to turn one.
Now a source reveals how her dad’s stroke has been a wake-up call for Meghan, but after going through so much hurt, she’s feeling torn over what to do.
The source says, “Meghan’s in pieces and feels incredibly conflicted, which is causing a huge amount of anxiety.
“While her heart is telling her to reach out to her stricken dad and make amends in case the worst happens, especially in light of all the horror going on in the world, her head is telling her otherwise and reminding her of the betrayal and heartbreak she went through as a result of his actions, which she’s finding hard to get over.
“There’s still a lot holding her back and she is so confused as she knows deep down she’ll always live with secret regrets if he dies with so much turmoil between them. Harry’s stuck on what to advise her to do as he’s told her it ultimately has to be her decision.”
Meghan and Harry have been estranged from his family since their departure from the UK in January 2020 to start their new life in California, where they live in a £11m family home.
It’s been just over a year since their explosive tell-all with Oprah Winfrey last March, during which they accused a senior royal of racism and claimed the palace had ignored her cries for help when her mental health had become so low, she had been left thinking of ways she could die.
Harry also spoke out about his own mental health, and described his dad Prince Charles and brother Prince William as being “trapped” by the institution.
However, the couple have continued to use their royal titles to strike deals, with Harry’s royal memoir set to be released later this year – a £15 million agreement that royal biographer Duncan Larcombe says could “plunge the royals into a constitutional crisis”.
Despite this, the couple are confirmed to attend the Queen’s thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, and a source has previously revealed how a “nervous” and “anxious” Meghan has been undergoing therapy for weeks in the lead up to what she hopes will be a happy occasion.
The source adds, “With so much tragedy in the world, Meghan’s realised just how sacred loved ones are and while her father has caused her a lot of anguish, he was her rock and the one she always turned to.
“Meghan’s been doing a lot of soul-searching and it’s become clear that she’s leaning towards holding out an olive branch as she learns to let go of the past. She’d love an opportunity to start rebuilding bridges – for both herself, her father and her children who’ve never met their grandfather.”