Meghan Markle’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., said in a new interview that their father, Thomas Markle, was “extremely hurt” after hearing Prince Harry’s comment that the royals are the “family she never had.”
“He dedicated the majority of all his time and everything to her,” Thomas Jr., 51, told the Daily Mail of his dad’s bond with the Suits alum, 36, in an interview published on Friday, December 29. “He made sure she had what she needed to be successful and get to where she’s at today.”
Thomas Jr. was also upset about the British royal’s comments. “She’s had a really good family,” he said. “We were as close as we could be, as tight as we could be, that’s what we were. We’d get together on Christmases, on holidays, on birthdays, on Thanksgivings. It was always somewhere, even though we lived in different parts of [Los Angeles], we still all got together.”
The Oregon resident, who says he has not spoken to Meghan since 2011, continued, “Obviously, she had a family. She was very privileged. She got everything she ever wanted. We did the best that we could in terms of getting together for holidays and whatnot.”
Thomas Jr. also said he doesn’t expect to receive an invitation to Harry, 33, and his half-sister’s May 2018 wedding, but he would like one. “I don’t know if she gets to invite who she wants. But she’ll reach out if she wants me there, she’ll call me,” he told the Daily Mail. “She knows where to find me. But that’s up to her, there’s no pressure. I wouldn’t mind seeing my little sister have the biggest wedding in the world. That would be incredible. … If my dad doesn’t walk her down the aisle, then I will.”
As previously reported, the prince told BBC Radio 4’s Today show on Wednesday, December 27, that the actress “has done an absolutely amazing job” getting acquainted with his family. “She’s getting in there and it’s the family that I suppose she’s never had,” he added. Meghan’s half-sister Samantha Markle also hit back, tweeting later on Wednesday, “She has a large family. She always did. Our dad is amazing and completely self sacrificing. We made it so that she had two houses. How fun it was!”
