As his 80th birthday draws near, Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle’s father, talked candidly about his difficult relationship with his daughter, his worries for his grandkids Archie and Lilibet, and his unexpected affection for King Charles. From birthday reconciliation hopes to criticisms of Prince Harry, in an exclusive new interview with The Daily Mail, Thomas opened up about his relationship with Meghan, expressing his desire to end their bitter feud that has lasted six years. Here are six revelations he made.

Thomas turns 80 next month on July 18. However, he isn’t expecting a call from his daughter on his special day. “I’ve never been one for birthdays, but I know the one person I most want to hear from, Meghan, won’t be in touch,” he said, as per Blast. Thomas admitted that he has begged Meghan to end their feud before his special day. If not, he’d like to at least meet or see a picture of his grandchildren as he has never met them. 

Thomas expressed concern about his grandchildren’s lack of family connections. It’s “very sad” that they are “being denied the right to know their cousins,” he said. He believes Archie and Lilibet should have the chance to develop that ‘special’ bond with their relatives and take part in Royal events like Trooping the Color. He calls it their ‘birthright’. He claimed that one day they would resent their parents for the same. “It’s inevitable that they will ask their parents why they have cut them off from both sides of the family?” as per Express. 

Thomas opined that he related with King Charles III, who underwent a prostate operation in February and was diagnosed with cancer. “I would love to speak to the monarch because I am sure he has as many unanswered questions as I do,” said the 79-year-old. “He is going through cancer treatment and I’m not in the best of health,” he continued. He hence argued that they both were “in the same boat,” and neither of them “deserve the treatment” they’ve received from Meghan and Harry. He proposed that Charles’s cancer treatment might present an opportunity for a reunion.

Thomas in the interview admitted that he didn’t think he would live to be 80 years old. “Markle men never do,” he argued. Gordon Markle, his father, passed away at the age of 61. While his mother Doris Markle tended the candy counter at a low-cost retailer, Gordon worked as a printer at Olmsted Air Force Base, which was located outside of the family’s hometown of Newport, Pennsylvania. Thomas further declared, “I’m not afraid of dying. It is what it is.”

Thomas also expressed his frustration over never having met his son-in-law, despite Harry having “the resources to fly around the world.” Slamming the Duke yet again, he ranted, “What man gets married without meeting his wife’s father?… Why didn’t he come to see me, particularly when people in the royal household like Jason Knauf [Harry and Meghan’s former communications secretary] were urging him to do so?” He implied that such an omission was highly disrespectful and hurt his sentiments deeply

The last time Meghan and Thomas spoke was before her wedding. Their relationship broke down after Thomas was caught staging paparazzi photos. He has since admitted it was a ‘mistake’. Thomas said, “Meghan was mad at me because I posed for some paparazzi pictures before the wedding. I was totally alone and being hounded.” He claimed he has “apologized repeatedly” for this incident. As he approaches his 80th birthday, Thomas seems eager to resolve the long-standing feud with his daughter. Whether Meghan will respond to his plea remains to be seen. 

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