Meghan Markle’s attempt to contact her estranged father, Thomas Markle, by letter after his emergency hospital treatment has not been followed by any clear sign of reconciliation, according to royal author Richard Fitzwilliams.
The latest episode in the Sussex family rift emerged this month after Mr Markle, 81, underwent an emergency lower-leg amputation while in hospital in the Philippines on December 3.
In the days that followed, Meghan attempted to reach him, with her spokesman later confirming that a letter had been delivered to him through “reliable and trusted contacts” after earlier efforts to contact him directly were unsuccessful.
Meghan’s spokesman also criticised the Daily Mail over reporting from Mr Markle’s bedside, which the newspaper denied, in a dispute that added another layer of publicity to what was already an intensely scrutinised family situation.
Against that backdrop, Mr Fitzwilliams told GB News that while outsiders cannot know what was written privately, the public picture remains bleak.
Mr Fitzwilliams described the estrangement as damaging for both sides and said the relationship has “turned out as it has”.
He added: “It is, of course, a tragedy for both of them, but it's turned out as it has, and we know the reasoning going back from her point of view, of course.”
Meghan Markle 'doesn't want further contact' with Thomas Markle despite reconciliation attempt
|GB NEWS / GETTY
The commentator pointed to Mr Markle’s long history of media interviews as a major factor behind the breach from Meghan’s perspective.
“He toured around giving interviews to TV stations, attacking and being critical and so forth. And you can see why the problem arose from that point of view,” Mr Fitzwilliams said.
At the same time, Mr Fitzwilliams highlighted what he sees as unresolved questions from the period around Meghan and Prince Harry’s engagement.
“It has never been explained why Harry never met Thomas Markle when they were engaged, and that remains a mystery, which I can't unravel,” he said.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry married without Thomas Markle present due to his health concerns
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“It was quite extraordinary, just as it was extraordinary that he was expected, being somewhat reclusive, to make an appearance before the world for the first time, meeting Harry as well, at the wedding.”
Mr Fitzwilliams said he does not understand how the situation was handled, including the expectation that Mr Markle would suddenly become part of an international event.
He also argued the Mr Markle issue now sits alongside a wider pattern of estrangement in Meghan’s life, pointing to her breakdown with the Royal Family.
“This problem remains, however, that she's fallen out with the Royal Family as well, and conducted a ruthless campaign against them,” he added.
Mr Fitzwilliams suggested this broader context shapes the “optics” around whether Meghan would make a public-facing gesture at Christmas, even if doing so would be complicated.
“The difficulty is, of course, that she pretends, or she affects, to be a humanitarian, someone who thinks of everything positively, someone who is there for you in the front line at Christmas to make a gesture, even if it's very, very difficult, and it doesn't seem that she's doing that,” he said.
He stressed again that he cannot verify what was said in the reported letter, but said the current position appears unchanged.
Meghan Markle stepped down as a working royal in 2020 | PA“But as I say, I don't know what the contents of the letter are, but the fallout has implied that she doesn't want further contact,” he said.
Mr Fitzwilliams added that family relationships can always shift unexpectedly, even when a split appears entrenched.
“You can never be absolutely certain of human relations,” he said. “But so far as the optics are concerned, that's what it appears to be at the moment.”