Meghan’s father Thomas Markle says he has a right to meet his grandchildren

The Duchess of Sussex’s father has said he and the Queen have a right to meet the children of Meghan and the Duke of Sussex.

Thomas Markle, 77, said he is planning to fly over to the UK in June for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and while he is here he hopes to meet members of the royal family and his grandchildren – Archie and Lilibet – for the first time.

Mr Markle, who did not attend the wedding of Harry and Meghan in 2018 as he was recovering from heart surgery and has had a strained relationship with the couple, said he also hoped to repair their relationship.

Speaking to GB News from his home in Rosarito, Mexico, Mr Markle said: “I’m looking forward to it [flying over for the Jubilee]. I’m going to show my respect for the Queen and I’m going to make sure that the Queen understands that my entire family respects the Queen and the Royals.

“We admire them and we want them to know that’s how we feel about them and that’s how we feel about England.

“I would like to meet with Prince Charles and thank him for walking my daughter down the aisle, and also to meet and talk with him because I think we have a lot in common now. We’ve pretty much both been ghosted by our children.”

He added he was reaching out to all members of the royal family ahead of the visit to make them aware that he and his family have “no ill feeling about the royals whatsoever”, and they have “nothing but respect and admiration” for them.

Mr Markle also criticised Harry and Meghan for not bringing Archie and Lilibet with them when they visited the Queen earlier this month ahead of their appearance at the Invictus Games in the Hague, the Netherlands.

“Not bringing the children was like another slap in the face to the Queen,” he said.

“It was very rude and the wrong thing to do. It makes no sense at all…I don’t know if it’s Meghan or if it’s Harry but the Queen should have every right to see her great-grandchildren and I should have the right to see my grandchildren. So if they show up I hope they bring the kids.”

Questioned if he was expecting them to be in London during the celebrations, Mr Markle said: “I’m getting the feeling that if they know I’m coming, they won’t be coming. But if they do come I would love to reach out, speak with them and try to figure out what was wrong and how we can repair it.

“I don’t see that happening. But I certainly would like to try.”