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Royal Ruckus: King Charles Reportedly “Scolded” Prince Harry Over Markle Family Feud
A new report from Royal author Tom Bower claims that King Charles once “scolded” his youngest son, Prince Harry, for not heeding advice regarding Meghan Markle’s ongoing issues with her father, Thomas Markle. The alleged confrontation occurred prior to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s 2018 wedding, as the public drama surrounding Meghan’s family reached a fever pitch.
The saga began when Thomas Markle was revealed to have staged paparazzi photos of himself, leading to a significant falling out with his daughter. This rift ultimately prevented him from attending the Royal wedding, where King Charles famously stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle. However, the drama didn’t end there, as Thomas continued to give media interviews, including a lengthy nine-hour session with The Mail on Sunday, making numerous headline-grabbing statements.
These public pronouncements, which included criticisms of the Royal Family and the “Firm,” reportedly irritated King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales. Author Tom Bower suggests that Charles believed a direct meeting between Meghan and her father could resolve the dispute. This suggestion was allegedly made during a stay at the Castle of Mey, coinciding with the week Thomas Markle’s interviews were published.
According to Bower, as cited by The Daily Mail, Charles’s frustration peaked during this period. “‘Can’t she just go and see him and make this stop?’ Charles ‘berated’ Harry,” Bower states.
Meghan and Harry reportedly expressed hesitation about visiting her father, citing privacy concerns and other issues. The Duchess is said to have felt misunderstood by the Royal family during this time. Bower further reveals that a conference call took place at the castle, involving the late Queen and Charles, where it was proposed that Meghan travel to America to reconcile with her father.
However, Meghan reportedly dismissed the idea, arguing that such a visit would only ignite a larger media frenzy and cause more harm than good. Bower suggests that both King Charles and the late Queen were left “perplexed” by her reasoning and behavior.
Meghan Markle remains estranged from her father. In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, a year after stepping away from Royal duties with Prince Harry, Meghan confessed that she felt she “lost” her father when she became a Royal.