Thomas Markle

Thomas Markle is a retired television lighting director best known as the estranged father of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. Born in Newport, Pennsylvania, Markle began his career in the television industry in the ‘70s. He worked his way up in Hollywood’s technical scene, eventually becoming a highly regarded lighting director.

Markle’s early career included work on popular daytime soap operas before landing jobs on major network sitcoms and game shows. He earned recognition for his work on General Hospital and the hit FOX sitcom Married… with Children. He has won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards throughout his time in the industry.

While largely private during his Hollywood years, Markle was thrust into the public eye in 2018 when his daughter Meghan married Prince Harry. He made headlines in the lead-up to the royal wedding after staging paparazzi photos and later missing the ceremony due to reported health issues. Since then, he has given multiple interviews discussing his strained relationship with Meghan and the British royal family.

Markle married Doria Ragland in 1979; they divorced in 1987. The two share daughter Meghan, whom they welcomed in 1981. He also has two older children, Samantha (born in 1964) and Thomas Jr. (born in 1966) from a previous marriage to Roslyn Loveless.