The VERY candid interview
Dad’s astonishing reply when Harry asked if he could marry Meghan
KENSINGTON Palace officials will have choked on their toast and marmalade yesterday if they watched Good Morning Britain.
There on the ITV breakfast programme was Thomas Markle, father of the new Duchess of Sussex, giving a candid interview which they had been told nothing about.
And the gently-spoken 73-yearold had plenty of revealing things to say – about his daughter, her marriage to Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the wider world.
HOW HARRY ASKED FOR HIS BLESSING
While many potential son-in-laws take their girlfriend’s fathers out for a pint and a quiet chat, in Harry’s case it could not have been more different.
To start with, it was clear he had already popped the question to Meghan – and father and daughter had several conversations before she finally put the prince on the line to ask his permission.
Mr Markle said: ‘Actually, Meghan told me first and then a few times after that, Harry got on the phone with Meghan, they called me together, and Harry asked for her hand over the phone.
‘And I said, “You’re a gentleman, promise me you’ll never raise your hand against my daughter and of course I give you my permission”.’
‘DAD, I HAVE A NEW BOYFRIEND’
Meghan was, by all accounts, rather reticent to reveal her new boyfriend’s identity even to her own father when the pair started dating in July 2016.
Mr Markle revealed: ‘ The first phone calls were, “Dad, I have a new boyfriend”. And I said, “That’s really nice”. And then the next call was like, “He’s British”. And I said, “That’s really nice”.
‘And eventually the third time round was, “He’s a prince”. At that point she said, “It’s Harry”. And I said, “Oh Harry, okay”. And she said, “Of course, we’ll have to call him H so no one knows we’re talking about Harry. It’s H”. And then we talked about that, and eventually I spoke to him as well. Very nice man. Gentleman.’
‘SHE’S ALWAYS BEEN A PRINCESS’
Mr Markle could not hide his pride at what his daughter has achieved, both as an actress and a humanitarian, and said he nicknamed her Bean because she ‘is so small’ and loved Jack and the Beanstalk.
He admitted being shocked when he first discovered that Meghan was dating a prince, but added: ‘This is my daughter and she’s certainly a prize for him as well. He’s great, an interesting guy, a prince, but my daughter’s been a princess s since the day she was born.
‘At the time, I didn’t realise [the e magnitude of dating a royal], I’m m not even sure she realised that, I’m m sure it’s very complicated, the royals - are very complicated, it’s a whole different lifestyle.
‘But I think she can always rise to that occasion. My daughter is capable of anything and she’ll certainly be a complement to the Royal Family. I don’t think I’ll call her duchess. I don’t have to, that’s my daughter.’
‘I SO WANTED TO BE AT THE WEDDING’
Despite his reclusive lifestyle, Mr Markle insists that he did want to walk his daughter down the aisle, saying: ‘Absolutely, from the very start. I absolutely wanted to walk my daughter down the aisle.
‘Meghan was putting together fittings for me, to make suits for me, shoe sizes. Actually it was all done in sort of secret. They’d arrange for me to show up in Los Angeles or in Beverly Hills under different names to get a fitting.
‘I was excited about that and ready for it. Me going to England, it was all set in place for me to go.’
THE TRUTH ABOUT THAT HEART ATTACK
Mr Markle insists that despite public scepticism, he really did have a heart attack. ‘I told Meghan before I was going in for the surgery,’ he said.
‘The preparations [for his visit to Britain] were done by my daughter who worked very hard to get everything ready for me if I came there. I feel bad that she put all that work in and I didn’t do it, but I couldn’t do much about it laying on my couch with a bad heart.’
‘THANK GOD FOR PRINCE CHARLES’
Of Prince Charles stepping in to walk Meghan down the aisle, Mr Markle said: ‘ Everybody was watching my daughter and I couldn’t have been more proud. How could I ask for a better replacement than Charles?
‘I just wish it could have been my hand holding my daughter’s not his but I think he was wonderful for doing it. He looked very handsome and my daughter looked beautiful with him. I was jealous. I wish I’d been there. I wish it had been me but thank god he was there and thank him for that.
‘It might have been a treat for him as he never had a daughter.’
Mr Markle says he sat in a modest B&B watching his daughter being given away by a man he had never met. ‘She was beautiful, it was incredible watching her. I cried a little bit about it... the whole world was watching my daughter. I was very happy about that.
‘The unfortunate thing for me now is I’m a footnote in one of the greatest moments in history rather than the Dad walking her down the aisle. That upsets me somewhat.’
‘THEY FORGAVE ME FOR FAKED PHOTOS’
Mr Markle admits that, humiliated by photographs of him looking overweight and shambolic, he colluded with a paparazzi photographer in the weeks running up to the royal wedding.
He said: ‘This was a presentation to me to change my image because for the last year photographs of me were always derogatory. Well obviously that all went to hell. And I feel bad about it, I apologised for it. That was a mistake.’
He insisted he ‘didn’t do this for the money’ – although he has previously confirmed to the US website TMZ that he had agreed a deal with the photographer – saying: ‘I spoke to them both and I apologised. I realised it was a serious mistake... Both Harry and Meghan were very forgiving about it. Meghan said, “Everything is ready for you”. Everything was booked.’
STORK ON THE WAY?
‘She has wanted children for a long time. And when she met Harry she spoke about how much she loved him and so there has to be a child making somewhere soon.
‘I don’t think there is a stork in the air yet but I think it will happen sooner or later.’
‘I WOULD LOVE TO MEET THE QUEEN’
He was unable to confirm when he would meet his new son-in-law. It was also clear he hasn’t spoken to his daughter for some time.
‘About a day after [the wedding] I spoke to them both. I told them I thought it was fabulous and she looked beautiful and they talked about coming to see me,’ he said. ‘I look forward to coming to London to meet them soon.’ He even said:
‘I would love to meet the Queen. I have had respect for that woman since I was a child. she is one of the most incredible women in the world.’
On his daughter becoming the first biracial woman to marry into the royal Family, he said: ‘It’s long overdue. It’s an improvement on the royal Family, it’s an improvement for england.’
He also made clear he hadn’t told the couple about his interview but said he hoped hadn’t offended them. ‘I certainly hope the royal Family itself will understand my feelings as well,’ he added.
WHAT HARRY SAID ON TRUMP AND BREXIT
Mr Markle said: ‘I was complaining that I didn’t like donald trump, he said give donald trump a chance.’
asked if he thought Harry was a trump supporter, Mr Markle replied: ‘I would hope not now, but at the time he might have been ... I think Harry’s probably changed his mind by now. I certainly hope he has.’
He added: ‘We’ve had interesting conversations on the phone. He’s a smart guy...We talked a few times about donald trump, Brexit, things like that. He’s an interesting guy.’