Meghan Markle the Duchess of Sussex has been slammed by a royal expert after she deliberately froze out her estranged father amid his ongoing attempts to reconcile with his daughter

One royal expert has slammed Meghan Markle for her hypocrisy surrounding her estranged father Thomas Markle, after the Duchess of Sussex continued to “freeze out” her dad in a move that she branded as “cruel.”

The controversy first ignited last month, following the launch of a birthday fundraiser for Meghan Markle’s dad as he prepared to turn 80. Lady Colin Campbell, known for her stint on ‘ I’m A Celebrity ‘, set up a GoFundMe page claiming that Thomas Markle needed to know that “good people” still exist in this world.

Described as “rejected and abandoned”, she emphasised the need for him to celebrate his 80th birthday, which fell on July 18, with the online fundraiser netting over £54,000. The fundraiser kicked into gear subsequent to Thomas Markle’s admission to the Daily Mail of his wish to mend ties with his daughter Meghan, who he hasn’t been close to since her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, and longing to meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Nonetheless, Jennie Bond, ex-BBC Royal correspondent, branded the fundraising effort for Thomas, caught up in controversy due to participating in a choreographed paparazzi photo shoot before Meghan’s nuptials, as “ridiculous”.

A birthday fundraiser had been set up for Meghan Markles dad 

Candidly speaking to OK!, Jennie remarked: “I think it’s rather a ridiculous idea to set up a fund for Thomas Markle. I’m sorry that his daughter doesn’t want him in her life and I think it’s quite cruel of Meghan. However, he has another daughter and a son who surely can perfectly well look after their father.”

She didn’t stop there, adding: “There are an awful lot of people in the world who need money far more than Mr. Markle. So I think it’s really a mischief-making exercise to make Meghan look bad. Meghan seems to have completely severed ties with her American family, except for her mother and perhaps a cousin. It’s incredibly sad for Thomas not to know his son-in-law or his grandchildren.”

But families are complex and emotions run deep. Both Samantha and Thomas Junior have made some outrageous claims about Meghan, and Samantha is still awaiting her day in court. Thomas previously expressed his belief that both he and King Charles have been treated “so badly” by Prince Harry and Meghan over time.

The Duchess of Sussex’s dad, who didn’t accompany her down the aisle, confessed that the past decade of his life has been “overshadowed” by the controversy. He stated: “Neither of us deserves the treatment we’ve received. Why have they treated not only me but the Royal Family and the King so poorly? Archie and Lilibet have two grandfathers who want to see them, one of whom is the King of England. “

Reports suggest that King Charles has also seldom seen the children since Harry and Meghan departed from the Royal family and relocated to California in 2020. Despite their estrangement from both families and perceived coldness towards their relatives, Harry has always maintained that Meghan is “so similar” to his late mum Princess Diana.

In their Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, Harry claimed that Meghan’s personality reminds him of his dearly missed mum. He shared with the camera: “So much of what Meghan is and how she is is so similar to my mum. She has the same compassion, same empathy and the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.”

However, after choosing to “freeze him out” on his birthday, Jennie thinks the notion is “rather rich”, adding: “I would say, however, that it always seems rather rich for Meghan to be talking about compassion and love and healing whilst continuing to freeze out her elderly father.