Queen Elizabeth might need to intervene to stop Meghan Markle's 'out-of-control' father

Contra Costa Times - 8/1/2018

Aug. 01--Meghan Markle is at her "wits end," the royal family's patience has "snapped," and palace aides have been holding crisis meetings to figure out what to do about the new Duchess of Sussex's father Thomas Markle, who won't stop complaining about her and Prince Harry to the tabloid press, the Daily Mail is reporting.

Thomas Markle's tirades to the tabloids, about how he's been cut off from contact with his former TV actress daughter, have become so tiresome and problematic that one royal source said Queen Elizabeth II might be forced to intervene to prevent further damage.

In a series of increasingly angry, embittered interviews, the 74-year-old retired Hollywood lighting designer has complained that he's been cut off from contact with Meghan and her husband Prince Harry -- because he keeps talking to the media.

In his latest interview, with the Mail on Sunday, Thomas Markle talked over the course of nine hours and three days about being hurt by their silence. He complained that his ex-wife Doria Ragland unfairly gets credit for U.S.-born Meghan's upbringing, laments his daughter's "superior" attitude and said it would probably be easier for her if he were dead. He also suggested she is ungrateful because of all the money he spent on her private school and university education. He proclaimed, "She became the woman that she is today thanks to everything I did for her."

And, then in a move that would possibly alienate his new son-in-law for good, Thomas Markle invoked the name of Diana, the late Princess of Wales, saying that Harry's mother would have "loathed" the way he and Meghan are treating him.

According to Us Weekly, the Duchess of Sussex now lives in fear of having any contact with her father.

"She doesn't even know how to communicate with her dad without knowing he won't exploit her," a source told Us Weekly. "She lives in fear that he'll leak their communication. If he's spoken this much already, why wouldn't he leak their conversation?"

Thomas Markle has totally lost his daughter's trust, the source added: "And it doesn't seem like it could ever be rebuilt. The damage is done."

But Thomas Markle has vowed that he won't stop talking until his daughter and her husband acknowledge his existence and allow him to be a part of their lives.

This brings us to the Daily Mail report about top-level crisis meetings taking place at Kensington Palace over what has become "an increasingly desperate situation."

Insiders have told the Daily Mail that aides are considering three options: 1) Meghan can contact her father directly and ask him to stop -- or offer him incentives to stop; 2) An intermediary can meet with him; or 3) The duchess can "cut him off completely in the hope he will stop."

But in an interview with the Daily Mail, royal commentator Phil Dampier offered a fourth option: "This is getting out of control. If this carries on I wouldn't be surprised if the Queen herself gets involved and bangs a few heads together."

In the meantime, Meghan is said to be getting the full support of Harry's family, especially from her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, according to Vanity Fair's royal correspondent Katie Nicholl.

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The two duchesses are said to have bonded over their love of dogs, tennis, the countryside and fashion, with Kate recommending London designers for Meghan to check out, a source told Nicholl. Kate also regularly invites Meghan to her apartment at Kensington Palace for tea, and the women speak on the phone at least once a week.

"Kate's well aware of what Meghan is going through. Her family has been dragged through the tabloids and she knows it's not nice. She's made a big effort to be kind to Meghan and look out for her," a source told Nicholl.

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