Meghan’s brother on Harry
Tom Markle gives his first interview since his shocking arrest last week
In news that sent shock waves through Buckingham Palace, the half-brother of Prince Harry’s actress girlfriend Meghan Markle was arrested in Oregon last week, after a drunken fight saw him allegedly threaten his girlfriend with a gun.
In an emotional and exclusive chat with Woman’s Day just days after he was released on bail, Tom Markle, 50, fought back tears as he explained he’s desperately sorry for his actions, and hopes Harry, 32, and Meghan, 35, will be able to forgive him.
“Meghan’s relationship with Harry has been going from strength to strength, and this drama is the last thing I wanted to happen,” says Tom. “I want to tell my sister that I’m truly sorry from the bottom of my heart.”
At time of going to press, Tom had yet to speak to Meghan as she was believed to be in London.
“I’m sure she knows about it, it’s been all over the news,” he says. “If I could speak to her right now I’d say, ‘I couldn’t be sorrier about this situation and all the bad publicity. I never meant to harm your image or your relationship with Harry.’”
Tom explains the incident – in which his girlfriend of two months, Darlene Blount, reportedly locked herself in the couple’s bathroom and phoned the police – was a misunderstanding, and the pair have now reconciled.
But he hates that the negative publicity may have jeopardised Meghan’s relationship with the royal family, especially as the Suits actress has been doing all she can to adhere to protocol in her bid to win over Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the Windsor clan.
“The last thing I would ever want to do is put a black mark on her situation with the royals.”
As he looks to get professional help for his drinking problem, Tom says he hopes he’ll still be welcome to celebrate with the couple at their royal wedding, which is expected to take place in London later this year.
“Marriage and kids are on the cards for her and Harry, and I still want to go to the wedding if they’ll let me,” Tom says.
“Everyone makes mistakes. This time I made a bad one. But we all do. If I may say so, Harry has made a few in his time, and learned from them. I need the same chance. This situation has been a shock, a wake-up call.”