In a blistering interview that’s set to ignite a fresh firestorm around the Sussex family, Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has dropped a verbal grenade on his ex-wife, Doria Ragland. With unfiltered rage, the 81-year-old former TV lighting director roared, “The world thinks they know her – but they’re all lying! Doria keeps secrets, and Meghan knows EVERYTHING!” His words, delivered in a no-holds-barred confrontation, echo a long-simmering family feud that’s captivated – and divided – royal watchers for years. As of November 26, 2025, this outburst has palace insiders scrambling and media outlets in overdrive, questioning just what skeletons lurk in the Ragland closet.
The drama unfolds against a backdrop of fractured ties. Thomas and Doria, who wed in a bohemian ceremony at Los Angeles’ Self-Realization Fellowship Temple in 1979, welcomed Meghan two years later. Their union dissolved when the future duchess was just six, amid whispers of irreconcilable differences – Thomas’s demanding Hollywood schedule clashing with Doria’s pursuit of higher education. Post-divorce, shared custody saw Meghan shuttling between parents, but it’s Thomas who claims he shouldered the bulk of her upbringing, bringing her to sets of shows like Married… with Children while Doria studied for her psychology degree and later a master’s in social work from the University of Southern California.
Yet, Thomas’s latest tirade paints a far darker portrait of Doria, the poised yoga instructor and mental health advocate now 69. Accusations of buried truths have swirled for years in tabloid corners and online forums, fueled by unverified claims of Doria’s alleged involvement in a check-kiting scheme – which Thomas reportedly bailed her out of to avoid jail time – and even wilder rumors of drug dealing during Meghan’s early years. “Everyone idolizes her as the perfect mom, the one who walked Meghan down the aisle,” Thomas fumed, referencing Doria’s star turn at the 2018 Windsor wedding, where she was the sole Markle family member in attendance. “But that’s the facade. She’s hidden chapters from her life in Ohio roots and beyond – hustles, moves to places like Flushing, New York, and Camarillo, California, that no one questions. Meghan’s in on it all, protecting the myth.”
These bombshells aren’t isolated. Thomas has long nursed grievances, from staging paparazzi shots pre-wedding (which he later regretted) to public pleas for reconciliation with his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, whom he hasn’t met. His envy of Doria’s close bond with the Sussexes – she’s a frequent visitor to their Montecito home and even joined them for family outings – boils over into outright disdain. “She gets the access, the love, while I’m painted the villain,” he seethed. Royal experts speculate this could stem from deeper resentments: Doria’s African American heritage, tracing back to enslaved ancestors under a Cornish planter named William Ragland, adds layers to Meghan’s biracial identity, which a genealogy test pegged at 43% Nigerian. Thomas, once a proud step into that world, now seems to weaponize it in his isolation.
The fallout? Palace sources, speaking anonymously, describe Buckingham Palace as “mortified” by the dredging of old wounds, fearing it tarnishes Meghan’s narrative of resilience. Media frenzy has erupted, with headlines echoing Thomas’s scream: Is Doria the saint or the sinner? Social media buzzes with #DoriaSecrets, blending sympathy for Meghan’s poised silence with schadenfreude over royal drama. Yet, amid the chaos, Doria remains a pillar – continuing her work at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services until recently launching a private practice for seniors, embodying the grace Meghan champions.
Thomas’s revelations, raw and unrepentant, force a reckoning: In the Sussex saga, where privacy battles public persona, what truths are too explosive to unearth? As he demands a family reunion, one thing’s clear – the Markle-Ragland rift runs deeper than ever, threatening to swallow Meghan’s carefully curated world whole. Will this be the catalyst for healing, or just more fuel for the fire? Only time – and perhaps a sit-down with Oprah 2.0 – will tell.
