Thomas Markle is siding with Queen Elizabeth.
Meghan Markle‘s estranged father blasted his daughter and son-in-law, Prince Harry, on Monday, telling TMZ he is “very upset” with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex amid the latest Megxit fallout over the use of the term “royal.”
“I don’t think they have a right to use the word royal. I don’t think they have a right to speak to the Queen, the way they’ve spoken to her. I think it’s an insult to the Queen and to the British people,” Thomas said.
Last week, Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, confirmed they would not move forward with their “Sussex Royal” brand since quitting the royal family in January, per the Queen’s orders. However, the couple later issued a statement that many royal watchers viewed as underscoring their resentment of the decision, noting that the UK government and monarchy did not own the word “royal.”
“While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word ‘Royal’ overseas,” the statement read, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use ‘Sussex Royal’ or any iteration of the word ‘Royal’ in any territory (either within the UK or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020.”
As for Thomas, 75, whose relationship with Meghan has deteriorated over time, he isn’t surprised by his daughter’s decision to abandon royal life.
“My daughter dumped me one day before she got married. She dumped my family. She’s dumped Doria’s [Ragland] family. She’s dumped every family, and now she’s dumping the British [royal] family,” Thomas said.
Public signs of the rupture between the two first came to light ahead of Meghan’s wedding to Harry in May 2018, when Thomas was accused of staging paparazzi photos. The father of the bride made further headlines after it was learned he would be skipping the royal nuptials due to health issues.
Last year, Thomas released a private letter Meghan had sent him in response to a People article, in which the Duchess’ inner circle addressed the pair’s fractured relationship. Thomas said in October he released the letter to “defend” himself.
In January, Thomas also claimed that Meghan had ruined the royal family.
“They are turning it into a Walmart with a crown on it now. It is something that is ridiculous, they shouldn’t be doing this,” the former Hollywood lighting director said in the UK documentary, “Thomas Markle: My Story.”
Meghan and Harry have since decamped to North America with their 9-month-old son, Archie. They are said to be eyeing a $20 million Malibu mansion.