Meghan Markle On Royal Rift: 'Harry Said To Me, 'I Lost My Dad In This Process'
Aug. 29 2022, Published 10:00 p.m. ET
Speaking out!
A year and change after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, sat down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss their decision to step back from royal life, Markle is speaking out again, getting candid about the lasting impact tabloid culture had on her and her husband’s respective familial relationships.
In a new interview, the Suits alum, who has been estranged from her father, Thomas Markle, since the time of her 2018 nuptials, revealed that she wasn’t the only one who had experienced personal losses thanks in part to the gossip.
“Harry said to me, ‘I lost my dad in this process,’” Markle explained, referencing both Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, as well as the couple's "Megxit" decision to step back from royal life in January 2020. “It doesn’t have to be the same for them as it was for me, but that’s his decision.”
Despite these seemingly deep rifts, Markle also reiterated just how much she seemingly values forgiveness.
“I think forgiveness is really important. It takes a lot more energy to not forgive. But it takes a lot of effort to forgive,” she explained, adding that she has “really made an active effort” to patch things up, “especially knowing that I can say anything.”
- Meghan Markle Credits Demise Of Relationship With Dad Thomas To The Media: 'It Was Incredibly Painful'
- Queen Elizabeth Suggested Prince Harry Meet Thomas Markle To Smooth Things Over, But He Never Took Her Advice
- Thomas Markle Accuses Oprah Winfrey Of Taking Advantage Of The Royal Couple: She Is 'Playing Harry And Meghan,' Says Markle
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This isn’t the first time Markle has spoken about her familial conflicts. During her 2021 interview with Winfrey, the royal explained how the British press impacted her relationship with her father.
“For over a year, the U.K. tabloids were trying to find my dad, offering people so much money to try to find his address. Once they did, I remember being told there was a huge headline like, ‘We Found Him!’ or ‘We Got Him!’” Markle recalled during a bonus clip from the interview, adding that this harassment brought her and her father "to where we are today.”
Markle’s interview first appeared as a cover story featured in the latest issue of The Cut.