Rehashing the past. Meghan Markle’s estranged family sat down for their “last interview” ever — which will air days before King Charles III‘s coronation.
The Duchess of Sussex’s father, Thomas Markle, her half-sister, Samantha Markle, and her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., filmed a segment with Australia’s Channel 7, which is set to air on Sunday, April 30.
Anchorman Taylor Auerbach sat down with the trio as they discussed their rift with Meghan, 41, and shared home videos from her childhood. “This Sunday on @7NewsSpotlight,” the journalist tweeted on Wednesday, April 26, alongside a clip. “Meghan Markle as you’ve never seen her before. For the first time, the Markles unite with an extraordinary message on the eve [of] King Charles III’s coronation. These hidden tapes will stun the world!”
The unseen footage featured Meghan at her prom, being crowned homecoming queen and videos from when she was younger. “The world has never seen Meghan like this, the homecoming queen,” the narrator stated. “Treasured memories, home truths and secret tapes are all coming out.”
In the sneak peek clip, Samantha, 58, who the Duchess has repeatedly claimed she has no relationship with, slammed Meghan for not maintaining contact with their father, 78. “[She] would still be a waitress if it wasn’t for Dad,” she claimed.
The author also weighed in on Meghan’s marriage to Prince Harry, saying, “[They] are really unhealthy for each other. It’s a toxic relationship.”
Meanwhile, Thomas Jr., 56, noted that the trio have no plans to step away from the spotlight. “We’re not going to go away. This is going to change everything,” he told the cameras as his father asked, “How can I fix this?”
The Suits alum’s complicated family dynamic originally made headlines when Thomas was caught staging paparazzi photos ahead of her 2018 nuptials. He ultimately didn’t attend his daughter’s wedding and announced days before the ceremony that he was unable to fly, claimed he suffered a heart attack.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, ended up attending the event solo as Charles, 74, walked the California native down the aisle. (The Duchess of Sussex’s parents were married from 1979 to 1987.)
After Meghan and Harry’s royal exit in 2020, the Bench author said she “lost” her father due to his decisions. In her March 2021 CBS tell-all interview, Meghan noted that Thomas’ inability to tell her the truth about the paparazzi photos caused major issues between them.
“That, for me, has really resonated, especially now as a mother,” Meghan, who shares 3-year-old son Archie and 22-month-old daughter Lili with Harry, 38, said at the time. “And also me saying just full stop, ‘If we use this to protect you, we won’t be able to protect our own children one day, well, I’m talking about your grandchildren.'”
She added: “I look at [my son] Archie, I think about this child and … I genuinely can’t imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child. I can’t imagine it. So it’s hard for me to reconcile that.”
More recently, Meghan and Harry revealed that the rift between her and her dad hadn’t been resolved.
“Of course, it’s incredibly sad what happened. She had a father before this,” the BetterUp CIO explained during his and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries in December 2022. “Now she doesn’t have a father. I shouldered that. Because if Meg wasn’t with me, then her dad would still be her dad. It’s amazing what people would do when offered a huge amount of money. Fifty thousand, a hundred thousand, to hand over photographs, to create a story. And thank God most of them said no.”
She also addressed her drama with Samantha, saying, “Suddenly, it felt like she was everywhere. … I don’t know your middle name. I don’t know your birthday. You’re telling these people you raised me, and you coined me Princess Pushy? I don’t remember seeing her when I was a kid at my dad’s house. … I hadn’t had a fallout with her. We didn’t have a closeness to be able to have that. And I wanted a sister!”
The Duke of Sussex, for his part, has candidly addressed his own issues with his family, including brother Prince William and dad Charles. Harry raised eyebrows in January when his Spare memoir detailed a physical altercation between him and William, 40.
“It all happened so fast. So very fast,” the U.K. native claimed. “He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dogs’ bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
Harry noted that the fight happened because the Prince of Wales allegedly referred to Meghan as “difficult” and “rude” in 2019.
A source later told Us that William “doesn’t see how” his younger brother could return to the firm. “At this point, he’s got no plans to speak to Harry,” the insider shared in January. “He’s come to terms with the fact [that] he’s lost his little brother and quite possibly for life.”
The siblings are set to reunite to celebrate Charles’ coronation in May. Buckingham Palace confirmed earlier this month that Harry will be attending his father’s coronation ceremony solo. One month prior, Us confirmed that Harry and Meghan were invited to the event, which happens to fall on son Archie’s fourth birthday.
Harry and Meghan’s pal Gayle King showed her support for the duo’s decision, telling Us on Wednesday, “I think Meghan and Harry should do what’s best for them. Clearly, they know what’s going on in their family life. They know what’s going on over there.”
