Thomas Markle now 'wishes' he hadn’t betrayed Meghan Markle

Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special
Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have stepped down as royal family members and relocated to California, but that certainly doesn't stop them from making headlines.

This past month was no exception as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed the news that they were expecting their second child and announced that they would not be returning to royal duties.

It's safe to say, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are all anyone can talk about right now.

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This week saw Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sit down for in an in-depth interview with Oprah Winfrey, a rare move for the notoriously private couple.

The couple spoke about everything from mental health and their relationship with the royal family to their current pregnancy, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle even announcing that they are expecting a baby girl.

It was her comments about her estranged father, Thomas Markle, that made particular headlines, with the Duchess of Sussex explaining that her father had 'betrayed' her and that as a consequence, she had 'lost' him.

Following the interview, Thomas Markle has spoken out, admitting that he does regret his actions.

In an interview with ITV's Good Morning Britain this week, Thomas Markle explained that he regrets and had apologised for the staged photographs that he took with the press in the run-up to Harry and Meghan's wedding 'at least 100 times or so'.

'I wish I hadn't done the whole thing,' he explained. 'But here's the other side...It's like no one took any time to protect any member of our family. We were attacked by the press every day - my oldest daughter, my son, myself, my grandchildren -- all of us were attacked by the press. Nobody was there to care for us. No one looked after us.'

'So, yes, I went through this deal with [a photographer] who was going to make me look better. Maybe I got sucked into it but I believed him and I thought it was going to work. It didn't work, of course. When it was exposed, I said, "What's happening?" Well, they waited three days before the marriage and released the photos. When that happened, I said, "How'd this happen? What do I do?" He said, "Just deny it. It'll go away in one day." It didn't go away. It hasn't gone away yet.'

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not responded.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.