Palace insiders reveal the royals’ reaction to Meghan’s ‘distress’ – this changes everything
Insiders tell us whether the royals have reached out to Meghan and what this could mean for Sussexes’ future within the royal fold
The question of whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will ever find their way back into the Royal Family’s good books has taken another twist. And this time, it’s not just about the Sussexes’ relationship with the royals.
Just weeks ago, a letter issued at the direction of King Charles made it clear that Harry and Meghan shouldn’t expect a grand welcome from Buckingham Palace when they returned to the UK. Instead, the wording compared the couple to ‘private citizens with commercial and charitable interests’, underlining that they are no longer working members of the Royal Family.
The message may have been clear, but Harry, 42, and Meghan, 45, are understood to have taken issue with how they were labelled as common folk. A source close to the couple said, ‘ ‘Working members of the Royal Family’ is a really lazy phrase. He hates it; she hates it. They are not ‘working’ for the institution, but they are members of the Royal Family, and they work.’
Harry has also made no secret of his desire to ‘reconcile’ with his family, reiterating that wish in a recent interview with GQ. But just as the prospect of a thaw in relations appeared to remain on the table, the Sussexes have found themselves caught up in a deeply disturbing family scandal that could make any future rapprochement even more complicated.
Last week, The Sun reported that Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr, 84, is being investigated in the Philippines after a ‘huge stash of child sex images’ was allegedly discovered by his son, Thomas Markle Jnr, at a property associated with him.
The newspaper subsequently reported that Meghan had first learned of allegations against her father in 2019, after being passed a letter reportedly written by Thomas’ first wife, Roslyn Loveless, and sent to the Metropolitan Police. The letter is understood to have included claims that Thomas travelled to parts of Asia where the legal age of consent is 12 to have sex with young girls.
Meghan issued a statement to the newspaper describing herself as ‘deeply distressed’ by the claims and making clear that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. Thomas denies any wrongdoing.
But while the Duchess has spoken publicly about the allegations, there has been no official statement from Buckingham Palace. Nor, it is understood, has the Palace reached out privately to offer support during what must be an extraordinarily painful time.
Instead, a Buckingham Palace source told Page Six that the situation is ‘a matter for the Sussex Household’.
Royal observer Kinsey Schofield also weighed in on her podcast, Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered, saying, ‘This may give King Charles III the ammunition to take a firmer stance in distancing the monarchy from Harry and Meghan. The Sussexes are private citizens, and perhaps it’s time the Palace made that separation unmistakably clear.’
So, does the Palace’s silence mean the family is preparing to put even more distance between themselves and the Sussexes? Behind the scenes, we’re told, the situation is being discussed, with concerns that the latest scandal could prove another major obstacle to repairing relations.
‘It’s very telling that the palace refused to comment and made sure it was known that they view this as a Sussex matter only. Of course, that has people predicting that the Royal Family will distance themselves even more from Meghan and Harry,’ the insider says.
‘They just won’t want any sort of association with Thomas Markle and this whole ugly mess – their reputation can’t afford it.’
They add, ‘There’s no question that everyone in the family feels terrible for Meghan, but feeling sympathy for her and getting involved are two very different things. The Palace has made it pretty clear that this is something the Sussexes need to handle themselves.’
That doesn’t necessarily mean the royals are indifferent to Meghan’s predicament. Charles, 77, has spoken fondly of his daughter-in-law in the past, and there may well be private sympathy for what she is going through.
However, the monarchy is also acutely aware of the reputational damage caused by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The last thing the royals need is to be drawn into another controversy involving a man under investigation over allegations concerning images of children.
And this isn’t the first time Meghan’s wider family has generated headlines that have threatened to overshadow her royal connections. The Duchess has been estranged from her father and half-siblings for years, with Thomas Markle Jnr repeatedly criticising her publicly. On one occasion, he even wore a wig to act out cruel impressions of his half-sister.
Her half-sister, Samantha Markle, has also spoken publicly about Meghan and published a book titled The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister. Samantha is believed to be caring for their father at a rehabilitation centre in Florida.
‘Certainly, people are sympathetic towards Meghan. It’s horrible that she’s having to deal with this, but there’s also a lot of talk about what a nightmare her entire family is,’ the insider says.
‘It seems to have been one thing after another since almost the moment she and Harry got engaged, and each thing seems to top the last, with this latest horror being by far the worst. If even half of what he’s being accused of is true, he’s an absolute monster, and it’s beyond appalling to everyone that they are now linked to him. Frankly, it’s sickening.’
For Meghan, the situation is said to be particularly distressing because, while she had reportedly been aware of accusations against her father for some time, the recent reports have brought fresh and deeply troubling claims.
Even her critics may recognise that this is an extraordinarily difficult situation for any daughter to face. And while the Palace is not thought to be short of sympathy, our source suggests there is also an awareness that intervening publicly could be inappropriate.
‘They aren’t trying to be cruel; Meghan isn’t a working royal anymore, and it’s such a personal, sensitive matter that it really wouldn’t be appropriate for the communications team to start speaking on her behalf,’ the insider says.
‘And it’s not as though Harry and Meghan are asking them to step in; this is something they want to handle on their own terms. The authorities haven’t finished their investigation yet, so everyone’s waiting for the facts to be clarified, but what’s being alleged is just so sordid and appalling, of course, everyone is talking about it.’
That distinction could prove significant for Harry, who has reportedly hoped to negotiate a ‘half in, half out’ role within the Royal Family -an arrangement first rejected by Queen Elizabeth II in 2020.
Now the latest developments may make any discussion about the Sussexes’ future position even more sensitive.
‘Had things turned out differently, this could have been an even bigger stress for the monarchy,’ the source says.
‘As it stands, they can keep their distance without anyone reasonably expecting them to get involved. It’s bad enough that they stink of the Andrew scandal is still clinging to them; they certainly don’t need to be associated with any more ugliness right now.’
For all the uncertainty surrounding the Sussexes’ future, there is one aspect of their history with the Royal Family that has taken on a new significance: Thomas never attended their 2018 wedding.
‘It’s a huge relief for everyone in the family that Thomas never darkened their doorway’ or cast a shadow over the Sussexes’ 2018 wedding day,’ we’re told.
‘When he suddenly cancelled his plans to attend the wedding, it caused such a headache, but looking back, they’ve got to be very thankful that there are no photos of him at the Palace or mingling with anyone in the family.
‘Everyone in the family is disgusted by this, as any sane person would be, but they’re not going to put themselves on the line; they want to stay well clear of the controversy and let Harry and Meghan deal with it privately.’
