Thomas Markle’s 80th birthday is a milestone filled with mixed emotions.
The retired lighting director has not spoken to his youngest daughter, Meghan Markle, since 2018, despite reportedly making multiple attempts to reach out.
Their relationship was strained when he posed for paparazzi photos ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry.
Markle also suffered two heart attacks just before the ceremony, preventing her from walking her daughter down the aisle.
Since then, Meghan and Harry have not communicated with Thomas, and he has never had the chance to meet his son-in-law (or grandchildren), Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Thomas Markle has not spoken to his daughter, Meghan Markle, since 2018, despite making multiple attempts to reach out.
“I’ve had a good life and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, but it’s all been overshadowed by what’s happened in the last six years,” he told Mail Online earlier this year.
“I’ve never been a big fan of birthdays, but I know the person I want to hear from most, Meghan, won’t be getting in touch with me.”
Thomas has a cliff-top home in Rosarito, Mexico, 250 miles from the Sussexes’ 16-bathroom mansion in Montecito.
Her living room is proudly filled with Meghan mementos, including her graduation photos from Little Red Schoolhouse Kindergarten and Immaculate Heart High School.
There is also a photograph of the father and daughter attending the Emmy Awards when Meghan was around 10 years old.
The award-winning lighting director grew up in Pennsylvania with his parents and two brothers.
His mother, Doris, worked behind the candy counter at a local convenience store, while his father, Gordon, was a printer at Olmsted Air Force Base outside the family’s hometown of Newport.
Thomas Markle’s career began in high school, working in theater productions before landing a position at public television station WTTW in Chicago.
He spent a decade on the live music show Soundstage, rubbing shoulders with icons like Aretha Franklin and Billy Joel.
Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle at St George’s Chapel in Thomas’ absence
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on May 19, 2018.
Thomas Markle never met his son-in-law. Pictured: Meghan and Harry after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in 2022
After divorcing his first wife Rosalyn, the mother of his oldest children, Samantha and Tom Jr., Thomas decided to seek opportunities in Hollywood.
He became lighting director for two notable shows, General Hospital and Married With Children.
Meghan’s mother, Doria, worked as a secretary at the same studio where she and Thomas began a relationship. However, they divorced when Meghan was two years old.
When Doria ventured into an import-export business that required a lot of travel, Meghan moved in with her father full-time at the age of 11.
After school, Meghan frequently joined Thomas on set.
The couple shared a close bond: Thomas would wake up at 5 a.m. every morning to help his daughter straighten her hair before heading to school.
Meghan’s naturally curly hair became something of an obsession for the former actress, after experiencing racism at a young age.
During a vacation, the duo was traveling from Los Angeles to Florida, when they stopped in Texas in search of a salon to wash and straighten Meghan’s hair.
Thomas Markle pictured standing proudly alongside daughter Meghan at her university graduation
Thomas is pictured with the American actress when she was a child.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reside in a 16-bathroom mansion in Montecito, 250 miles from Thomas
Meghan opened up about her estranged relationship with Thomas during her Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan
Meghan’s mother Doria (left) attended Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding in 2018
“We tried a few things, but no one would take us in because I was a white man with a mixed-race child,” Markle recalled.
However, when she gained recognition as an actress, Meghan turned to specialized treatments to achieve her soft hair.
As she herself mentioned in 2011, maintaining her appearance requires considerable effort and expense.
“My mother is black and my father is Dutch and Irish, so my hair texture is thick and curly,” she said. “I’ve been doing Brazilian straightening for a couple of years now.”
Markle said Meghan’s fame had altered her daughter’s personality.
“The person she has become is not the girl I raised,” she explained.
‘She started to change when she was living in Canada filming Suits and hanging out with the people at Soho House (a members-only club and hotel chain).
‘She started acting like she was entitled to everything. Things got worse after she met Harry.
“It bothers me that the name Markle is now associated with negativity. People talk about being ‘Markle-ized’ when she is being dumped for no reason. That makes me sad.”
Thomas Markle is unlikely to receive a call from Meghan today, but he will likely be celebrating her birthday with his son, Tom Jr.
She will also be able to speak on the phone with her eldest daughter, Samantha, as her multiple sclerosis prevents her from travelling from her home in Florida to join the celebration.