In news that shocks precisely no one, Thomas Markle has taken part in a documentary “defending” his reputation.
The television program, Thomas Markle: My Story, (which aired on January 22) was filmed in October 2019 over a six-day period at Markle’s home in Mexico.
During the interview, Markle addressed a variety of events that made headlines around the world, including his absence from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s May 2018 wedding, his portrayal in the media, an apology to the Queen and how he learned the news that his daughter was expecting.
“I want everyone to know that I’m not all the trashy things that are being said about me,” he said during the interview, before adding: “I want Harry and Meghan to see this video and know that this is not fair.”
In addition to this comment, Markle left a rather scathing remark for his daughter, whom he shares with former second wife, Doria Ragland.
“The last time they might see me is being lowered into the ground,” he said. “I don’t think at this point they are thrilled to see me or want to talk to me.”
And who could blame them?
Aside from the words that came out of his mouth, the documentary is incredibly problematic — and for so many reasons.
While the most obvious is Markle’s disrespect for his own child, her husband, his grandchild, and their privacy (the privacy which they are so desperately seeking); there is a much larger issue at play here — the fact that Markle has been given this air time at all.
Of course, the irony is not lost on me that I too am giving him some air time, but let’s get one thing straight. I am not about to condone any decision he, nor the network has made in giving him a rebuttal.
In my humble opinion, nobody even asked him what he thought or for him to defend himself. Nobody asked him to apologise to the actual Queen of England.
“I want to apologise to the Queen and to the royal family,” he says of the events that unfolded during the wedding, before saying that even Harry and Meghan told him “don’t”.
It’s such a personal and private family matter that he continues to exacerbate by speaking out — and this documentary just fuels the fire.
The fact that we’ve had to sift through our news feeds for the last week, through the multitudes of news stories highlighting paparazzi photographs of Meghan and son Archie on a morning walk and Prince Harry defending their decision in a poignant speech that reiterated the fact they “had no choice”, is reason enough to let them be. Not to mention the years of continuous trolling, harassment and now mum-shaming that the Sussexes have had to endure.
In fact, it seems that Markle is almost capitalising on the decision that his own daughter and her husband have had to make. Why was this filmed in October and then only released when something
major happens?Have Prince Harry and Meghan not suffered enough at the hand of Markle and his extended family’s very public opinions? From orchestrating paparazzi photographs (which he admits people are still buying) to a very personal letter being leaked and a subsequent lawsuit — when is it going to be enough?
I’m sure that I am not the only one who has grown weary of this constant back and forth and maybe now that he’s had his say, he’ll let sleeping dogs lie.
Because now, more than ever, we should just let them lie.