Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is currently navigating complex family dynamics, particularly concerning her estranged father, Thomas Markle, who is recovering in a hospital in the Philippines following life-saving leg amputation surgery. The 81-year-old underwent the procedure after a massive blood clot was discovered in his leg, and he has expressed a profound desire not to "die estranged from Meghan." He hopes for reconciliation and to finally meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, as well as his son-in-law, Prince Harry, 41.

The rift between Meghan, 44, and her father dates back to the eve of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, which she has not seen him since. The estrangement began when Mr. Markle collaborated with a paparazzi photographer to stage pictures of himself ahead of the Royal wedding. Shortly thereafter, he suffered two heart attacks and was unable to travel to the UK for the ceremony. After initial difficulties reaching him via email or phone, Meghan recently "reached out" to her father by sending a hand-delivered letter to his hospital bed. This delivery was reportedly videoed by a lawyer with instructions for the clip to be sent back to the Duchess. Despite this outreach, Meghan is believed to think that reconciliation is unlikely due to his continued relationship with the media, a topic she is thought to have addressed in her letter.

Before the rift, their relationship was close. Mr. Markle, a successful Hollywood lighting director, played a supportive role in Meghan's burgeoning acting career in Los Angeles. She previously penned a glowing tribute to him on her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, recalling his belief in her dreams and how he "lighting my high school musicals so that they felt as grand as a Broadway show." He is now undergoing physiotherapy and hopes to have a prosthetic limb fitted once his leg wound heals, facing a months-long rehabilitation period.

Beyond her personal familial struggles, Meghan's time as a working royal also saw tensions, notably with the late Queen Elizabeth II. Known for her strict frugality, rooted in her wartime upbringing, the Queen was reportedly displeased by Meghan's "eye-wateringly expensive" Christian Dior gown, costing £60,000, worn during an official engagement in Morocco in 2019. Royal biographer Robert Jobson stated that the outfit "drew the Queen's ire when she read about it in the press," and she later conveyed to Meghan that it was an "ill-judged choice." Despite this, the Duchess reportedly continued to wear custom and high-end designer pieces.

Further friction arose when Harry and Meghan named their second child, Lilibet, after the Queen's cherished childhood nickname. While Harry vehemently insisted they had the Queen's blessing and that she was the first family member he called regarding the name, palace sources cited by Mr. Jobson tell a different story. He reported that the Queen was "so incensed at the affront that she threw the paper to the floor, startling the staff" upon learning of the name via the press. Royal author Valentine Low also corroborated the monarch's displeasure, quoting her as telling an aide: "I don't own the palaces, I don't own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they've taken that."

Adding to the list of alleged grievances, Harry and Meghan reportedly skipped a scheduled afternoon tea with the Queen without warning. Mr. Jobson described afternoon tea as the monarch's "precious" daily ritual, and the Queen, whose health was rapidly declining and who often felt "lonely" after Prince Philip's death, had even requested a special cake for the occasion. Her Majesty reportedly heard "no word" from the pair on the day of their meeting and eventually asked for everything to be cleared away, marking another moment of apparent strain in the royal relationship before her passing in September 2022.