The Irish Mail on Sunday

Meghan’s father: I heard about baby on the radio

Samantha Markle begs for a family reunion ‘before it’s too late’

- By Caroline Graham

MEGHAN Markle’s half-sister has revealed that the letter she handdelive­red to Kensington Palace begs the Duchess of Sussex to reconcile with their father ‘before it’s too late’.

In the letter, Samantha Markle admits that the family has said some unfavourab­le things ‘clumsily’, but she adds that she believes the duchess is ‘gracious and compassion­ate enough to do the right thing’.

Samantha 53, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and is in a wheelchair, delivered the letter to a gatekeeper at Kensington Palace two weeks ago during a trip to the UK.

The photograph of her handing it over was published in newspapers and magazines around the world, but the contents of the letter were not known – until now.

Addressed to ‘Dear Duchess Meghan’, the emotional two-page letter implores Meghan to heal the rift with their father Thomas, 74, who has had two heart attacks and is in poor health.

Samantha was born to Thomas’s first wife Rosalyn. However, she lived with her father, Meghan and

‘I know Meghan has a kind heart’

Meghan’s mother Doria – Thomas’s second wife – during her teenage years in the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills.

Revealing the contents of the letter exclusivel­y to The Mail on Sunday last night, Samantha explained: ‘I know Meghan and I know she has a kind heart. Her rift with our father makes no sense at all. The palace spin doctors have put out that Meghan feels she can’t trust Dad because of all the stories that have been written about him but Meghan should know better.

‘Because of my illness, my hands don’t work so I wrote the letter on my computer in an elegant script. Now that she is about to become a parent herself I was hoping this letter would cut through all the misconcept­ion and explain to her the hurt and isolation the family felt.’

The letter implores Meghan not to believe reports suggesting Thomas faked having a heart attack to avoid walking his daughter down the aisle because he was embarrasse­d about colluding with paparazzi pictures before the wedding. Samantha writes: ‘What is most critical here is the fact that Dad suffered a real heart attack, not just once but twice, as a result of the stress from all of the mispercept­ion, the breakdown in communicat­ion with you and his being forced to be reclusive and inactive to avoid the limelight. His attempt to avoid the tension created just the opposite… he loves you very much and has made several attempts to reach out to you both privately and publicly at his fragile age of 74.

‘I don’t believe that his health can bear this isolation on a con- tinual basis.’ The letter criticises the way Mr Markle was left to fend for himself at his home in Mexico when news of Meghan’s relationsh­ip and subsequent engagement to Prince Harry became public.

While Meghan’s mother Doria was given support – at one point representa­tives from the British Consulate in LA were photograph­ed visiting her house – Samantha says their father was ‘hung out to dry’.

The letter continues: ‘You know you were not raised as an only child, contrary to public attempts at painting the picture this way, and this family is and always was supportive of you, even though we have said some unfavorabl­e things clumsily, out of selfdefens­e and hurt feelings… and only as a last resort.

‘All of this came about upon our family quite suddenly, as you know. I want nothing from you, but your continued happiness, and the happiness of Dad. He loves you very much, and I only ask that you reach out to him before it is too late.’

Samantha ends the letter by saying: ‘I do not require a response to this letter but please communicat­e with Dad.’

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 ??  ?? hands-on: Prince Harry and Meghan at Sydney Opera House yesterday, above; excerpts from the letter, below
hands-on: Prince Harry and Meghan at Sydney Opera House yesterday, above; excerpts from the letter, below
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