Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly facing yet another legal situation with Meghan's father, Thomas Markle. The 77-year-old has yet to meet Harry or the pair's two young children, and he recently told the Daily Mail that he might end up suing Harry and Meghan to gain that right.
The distance between Thomas and the Sussexes was cemented prior to Meghan and Harry's wedding, when Thomas failed to show up for his daughter. A series of missteps and outright painful actions followed; Meghan was in a legal dispute with the Mail after it published a letter she wrote to her father in an attempt to patch things up.
Thomas told the publication, "We shouldn’t be punishing [Lili] for Meghan and Harry’s bad behavior. Archie and Lili are small children. They’re not politics. They’re not pawns. They’re not part of the game. And they’re also royal and entitled to the same rights as any other royal."
He then added, "I will be petitioning the California courts for the rights to see my grandchildren in the very near future."
Of course, parents are the people who ultimately decide whom their children do and do not see.
While Thomas is not attempting to sue for custody of Harry and Meghan's children, many sites make it clear that grandparents don't have legal rights to their grandchildren unless the situation is dire. As Verywell Family writes, "While grandparents may feel that they could provide a better environment for their grandchildren and that they could make better parenting decisions, it usually doesn't matter from a legal standpoint. Unless the children are removed from the home by child protective services, grandparents aren't in the running to take over."
Thomas has a habit of speaking out about how he feels he has been treated by Harry and Meghan over the years. He recently gave an interview to 60 Minutes in which he criticized Harry and Meghan for their alleged refusal to see him.
Thomas waged a number of accusations at the pair in the interview. He began by insisting that Oprah Winfrey was only using Harry and Meghan for her own gain:
"I think Oprah Winfrey is playing Harry and Meghan. I think she is using them to build her network and build her new shows and I think she’s taken advantage of a very weakened man and getting him to say things that you just shouldn’t be saying on television."
He went on to acknowledge that it's unlikely Oprah would agree with him:
"She will disagree of course, and she may even sue me, I don’t care. But the bottom line is she is working Harry."
He then turned his attention toward his grandchildren and pointed out his own advancing age in that context.
"On July 18, I’ll be 77 years old," he said. "Most of the Markle men don’t make it much past 80."
He also acknowledged that he knows he might never spend time with Archie and Lilibet.
"I might never see my grandchildren," he lamented. "I’m not looking for pity. I’m just saying that’s a reality. All I can say is that I hope eventually I get to see these grandchildren of mine. I’m a pretty good grandpa."
The matter is complicated by the fact that Meghan hasn't spoken to her father since her 2018 wedding. While much of the world focuses on the how Meghan has reportedly helped Prince Harry see toxicity in his own family, the same is likely true in reverse.
However, Thomas doesn't seem like he would agree with that statement. He accused Harry and Meghan of being hypocrites:
"This show they’ve been on, they talk about compassion, there’s no compassion for me, no compassion for my family, and no compassion for the world."
It seems unlikely that applying this kind of public attention to the matter will do much to change Harry and Meghan's minds, especially since similar actions have yet to work out in Thomas Markle's favor. But it's difficult to really know. One thing is likely very certain: If Thomas Markle is allowed to see Archie and Lilibet, it will be in a safe, very private environment that Harry and Meghan feel comfortable with.
It's unclear if that will happen anytime soon, or that it even should.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
