Thomas Markle is trying to get back into Meghan’s good books, says royal biographer

The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged father Thomas Markle is trying to get back into his daughter’s good books, according to Princess Diana’s biographer.

Andrew Morton says the 74-year-old retired TV lighting director has been “very quiet recently.”

Speaking on Yahoo UK’s ‘The Royal Box,’ Morton adds: “He’d been approached by Italian, French and German and other TV channels to talk about his relationship with Meghan, or non-relationship, and he turned them down.”

It’s believed that Meghan hasn’t spoken to her dad Thomas since her wedding last May. He admitted he staged paparazzi photos for money and subsequently pulled out of walking his daughter down the aisle, reportedly due to health problems.

Since the wedding, Mr Markle has given numerous interviews to the press and TV channels, including sharing excerpts of a five-page letter Meghan wrote him in August last year.

Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland is currently staying with her daughter, son-in-law and new grandson at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. She was mentioned in the statement when Archie’s birth was announced, but Thomas was not included.

Instead Mr Markle told The Sun: “I am proud that my new grandson is born into the British royal family and I am sure that he will grow up to serve the crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity, and honor [sic].

“God bless the child and I wish him health and happiness, and my congratulations to my lovely daughter Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry, and God save the Queen.”

Morton suggests “he’s trying to keep his nose clean,” by releasing such a “dignified” statement.

PR expert Nick Ede thinks Thomas is going to be the one who wants to heal the rift.

He adds: “I think Samantha [Markle], on the other hand, is very much about headlines, financial gain, so I don’t think she’s going to go quiet, but I do think Thomas will definitely.”

Meghan’s half-sister Samantha told The Mirror that her father should be involved in his grandson’s life, following Archie’s birth.

READ MORE: Thomas Markle 'will never get to meet his grandson'

Historian Anna Whitelock thinks Thomas gave an “appropriate” statement following the birth.

She says: “I think you also have to accept the fact that we may not be completely privy to everything that is going on.

“We do not know what kind of conversations may or may not have taken place.

“Absolutely there is this sense that her father has been a loose cannon in the media, around the time of the marriage.

“In the last few weeks he has been notably absent from the air waves. He did, I think, an appropriate statement on the birth, so I think we have to kind of give them the benefit of the doubt for that.”