Meghan Markle is ‘playing a dangerous game’ with dad Thomas, royal biographer says
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Following a recent interview, in which Thomas Markle claimed he hasn't spoken to his daughter Meghan in months — a royal biographer is encouraging the Duchess of Sussex to "build bridges" with her estranged father.
"The TV interview on ITV GMB certainly won’t heal the rift. I understand that many people who feel he is a sad and attention seeking figure. But I believe Meghan is playing a dangerous game," Robert Jobson — author of "Charles at Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes and Dreams" — told Express.
"When you still have both parents alive you have no idea what it will be like living without one or both of them," he explained, adding: "Thomas Markle has been stupid and naive in his dealings with the media. But why should he be an expert? He is reaching out to her and sounded desperate."
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Jobson went on to say that Thomas, 74, "is not in the best of health" and he would "urge Meghan to make contact with him and to try and build bridges."
"They have both made mistakes," Jobson noted. "Once he is gone, any tears that will flow will be seen as crocodile tears. She will regret not making contact it something happens to him. It’s Christmas, send a card and tell him you hear him."
"But by the look of it his appeal will fall on deaf ears."
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On Monday, Thomas appeared on ITV's "Good Morning Britain," where he asked the former "Suits" star, 37, to reach out to him.
"I love my daughter very much and she has to know that. I would really appreciate if she would just call me, reach out somehow to me, send me a text, just say you're there and you're hearing me."
Thomas, who remains "hopeful" that he will one day talk to his daughter, added that it'd be "very nice" if he could also see his grandchild.
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"I look forward to that happening," he shared.
In October, Meghan's estranged half-sister Samantha told The Sun she wanted the former actress, who is expecting her first child with husband Prince Harry, “to be happy,” but also urged her to include their father Thomas in her pregnancy.
“It just makes everything that happened over the last year disappear. I want Meghan to be happy and calm and have peace. Everybody needs to be positive,” Samantha said at the time. “I would hope that — for the sake of the baby, the family, the world and my dad — that leaving him out of the statement was not intentional.”
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The royal family announced the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be welcoming their first child in spring 2019. The statement added that Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, was “very happy” and looking forward to welcoming her first grandchild — but made no mention of Thomas.
“I hope my dad is included at a proper time. If he is excluded, I won’t be happy. It is in the best interest of the baby for my dad to be included," Samantha said. “A baby changes everything and softens everyone. I would only hope that there would be some adjustment or some way of including him.”
She added that it’s time to “just work toward a positive joyous new life in the world.”
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Thomas and Samantha have done several interviews slamming the royal family and the Duchess for their actions since the May 19 wedding. Thomas claimed the royal family shunned him after the staged paparazzi photo debacle just days before Meghan and Harry’s nuptials.
Fox News' Stephanie Nolasco and Katherine Lam contributed to this report.