Her fractured family relationships have made headlines for years, but last week Meghan Markle’s dad Thomas and brother Thomas Jnr both hinted that they hoped for a reconciliation with the Duchess.
And despite Meghan telling Oprah Winfrey that she found her father’s betrayal “hard to reconcile” during her infamous interview earlier this year, royal expert and author of Harry And Meghan: Life, Loss, And Love Katie Nicholl says Meghan should consider making amends with her family – for her own public image as a humanitarian.
Katie says, “Because of Meghan’s work as a philanthropist, it doesn’t sit very well that she has no relationship with anyone in her family apart from her mother, Doria.
“We’ve seen her father reach out publicly in a bid to reconcile with his daughter and apologise on numerous occasions. Meghan does risk appearing unforgiving and uncaring of her father, who’s getting older and isn’t in great health. There are now two grandchildren Thomas Snr hasn’t met, which must be upsetting.”
However, Katie adds that, although she thinks it would be a good idea for Meghan – who shares Archie, two, and Lilibet, three months, with Prince Harry – to reconnect with family, she believes the focus at the moment will be on the Sussexes building bridges with the Windsors, suggesting a Christmas reconciliation is likely.
It came after Closer last week reported that Harry and Meghan were trying to salvage their relationship with the royal family, with Harry requesting to meet with the Queen during a visit to London.
Katie explains, “When Harry and Meghan left, they made it clear they didn’t want to give up their home in Britain. They still have Frogmore Cottage and their plan was to come back to the UK.
“Christmas is being looked at as an opportunity. There may be a softening, which could pave the way for a healing of the family rift.
“It’s certainly what the Queen wants. Prince Charles would like to see his grandchildren. A meet-up suggests they hope to move on and sort things out.”
And psychological therapist Emma Kenny agrees that burying the hatchet could be a good move for Meghan – but isn’t convinced she’ll do it.
Emma explains, “Meghan will be torn over what to do about her family. She feels betrayed and they’ve lost her trust, but she will still love them deeply and Thomas will always be her dad. He is elderly and not well, so for her own peace of mind, she must try to make peace and let him see his grandchildren before he dies. Once he’s gone, she may well feel huge regret.”
How the Markles are pleading for a truce
Brother Thomas Jr: ‘I hope Meghan gets in touch’
Not shy of speaking out about his sister, Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Jnr – who shares a dad with the Duchess – is currently starring in Australia’s Big Brother VIP.
In a recent trailer for the show, the 55 year old teases, “I’m famous for writing letters. I’m going to write a letter to Meghan.” He then reads, “Dear Meghan and Harry, the first thing I want to say to both of you…” before trailing off.
Thomas Jnr first wrote a letter to Prince Harry in 2018, pleading with him not to marry Meghan and adding, “She will ruin your life.”
However, fans believe the second letter will call for a truce after he retracted the statement of his first letter and described it as a “moment of madness” and said that he had been at a “breaking point” in his life.
He then called Meghan “one of the best things that happened to the royals” and added, “I am truly sorry.”
Dad Thomas Snr: ‘I want to stop the ‘games’ and see them’
In a new interview last week, dad Thomas – who said he wants to make peace with his daughter and see his grandchildren – revealed he had snubbed legal offers to sue the Sussexes for not having access to Archie and Lilibet in a bid to stop the “games”.
Thomas said, “I would like to see [Meghan and Harry], maybe make up with the Queen and make up with his [Harry’s] father, and then we can make up.”
In August, he also sent Meghan a bouquet of red roses for her 40th birthday.
Relations between Meghan and her father have been strained since he collaborated with paparazzi in the lead-up to her wedding to Harry in 2018.
He then had a heart attack just days before the wedding, needing urgent surgery, and blasted his daughter for not reaching out to him.
After speaking out about her on several occasions, Meghan hit back in her Oprah interview in February, saying she has “lost” her father and that it’s “hard for [her] to reconcile” the pain he caused.
Check out: 9 times Meghan Markle dressed like Princess Diana
All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana - slider
1 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
The glittering Roland Mouret gown worn by Meghan at the premiere of Cirque du Soleil's Totem show was reminiscent of a Catherine Walker dress Princess Diana wore in 1990.
2 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
Both Meghan and Diana chose a monochrome color palette for visits to Royal Ascot.
3 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
It seems both royals are a fan of pairing red and purple. Princess Diana wore the combo a visit to Hong Kong in November 1989 while Meghan wore it on a visit to Birkenhead in January of 2019.
4 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
In 1987 Princess Diana wore tartan at Bute Highland Games in Scotland and two decades later Meghan wore a Burberry tartan coat for an official visit to Scotland during her engagement.
5 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
Meghan sheer pleated Givenchy skirt (which caused quite the controversy) and matching top may well have been inspired by Princess Diana's all-blue look from 1982.
6 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
Both royal women are a fan of pinstripes, as seen by this pinstriped blazer worn by Diana in Sheffield and the buttoned Altuzarra dress Meghan wore at the Commonwealth Youth Forum.
7 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
Even at the end of her royal duties, Meghan channelled Diana in her wardrobe. Just look at this green dress and matching hat worn by Meghan on Commonwealth Day compared to Diana's Trooping of the Colour dress and hat from 1982.
8 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
At the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, one of the very first times we saw Meghan and Harry in public together, Meghan and her cali-girl vibes looked very similar to an outfit Princess Diana wore while in Bosnia.
9 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
Not ones to shy away from colour, Princess Diana and Meghan also both know just how amazing a simple white dress can look.
10 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
Both have sported tailored blush pink dresses. Princess Diana wore a Versace coat dress in 1995 while The Duchess of Sussex wore a modern take on the trend when visiting the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition at Southbank Centre in London.
11 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
Meghan's second wedding dress (a Stella McCartney design) was noticeably similar to a high-necked evening gown worn by Princess Diana at a reception at Spencer House in London.
12 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
Meghan wore a stunning Safiyaa caped red gown o the Mountbatten Festival of Music at Royal Albert Hall that looked very similar to the red Jacques Azagury dress Diana wore to an American Red Cross dinner in 1997.
13 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
The chic plaid suit that Diana wore while at Paddington Station in London in 1988 looks very similar to an off-the-shoulder structured shirt Meghan wore on a visit to Wales.
14 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
The off-the-shoulder pink Carolina Herrera dress Meghan wore to Trooping the Colour was rather similar to Princess Diana's look worn at the Royal Ballet in Germany in 1987.
15 of 15All The Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana
At Commonwealth Day in March 2019 Meghan wore an emerald green Erden coat not dissimilar to the one worn by Princess Diana in 1982.
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Sister Samantha: ‘Our struggles can help us grow together’
During an exclusive interview earlier this year, Meghan’s controversial half-sister Samantha made a huge U-turn, as she told Closer she hopes to make amends with Meghan.
She said, “I [have] reached out, communicated, I was honest. You can’t have closure and bond or problem solve and speak to each other’s hearts if you’re not speaking. So I did that, my father did that, we all reached out – she [Meghan] didn’t.”
Samantha, 55, even flew to the UK five months after the wedding in an attempt to reconcile with her sister, to no avail – but she says she still loves Meghan. “I love my sister. You’re taught to love your family,” she says.
“I love those memories [of us], they are so precious, but it has been a struggle. Maybe those struggles can help us grow together.”
Samantha has been a vocal critic of Meghan since she began dating Harry, even self-publishing autobiography The Diary Of Princess Pushy’s Sister Part 1 earlier this year.
She also labelled her “Duchess of nonsense” and accused Prince Harry of being a “wuss” for allowing his wife to “walk all over him”.
And, in an astonishing social media rant, Samantha previously said that Harry should have married his ex, Cressida Bonas, because “she is much more like Diana”.