Thomas Markle has kept a low profile in recent weeks in his home town of Rosarito, Mexico, awaiting news of Meghan and Prince Harry's son
MEGHAN Markle’s father and brother are clinging on to hope that her baby son will heal the rift between them.
Currently, while his ex-wife Doria Ragland is by their daughter’s side, Thomas Markle, 74, is 5,500 miles away at home in Rosarito, Mexico and is yet to meet his grandson.
Soon after the birth of his sixth grandchild was announced at 6.30am local time, Thomas exclusively told The Sun of his pride - while also revealing his fears he will never see the child.He said: “I’m delighted to hear that mother and child are doing well.
“I am proud that my new grandson is born into the British royal family and I am sure that he will grow up to serve the crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity and honour.
“God bless the child and I wish him health and happiness, and my congratulations to my lovely daughter Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry — and God save the Queen.”
And speaking exclusively to Sun Online following the birth, Tom Markle Jr congratulated his sister and said he was over the moon for her.
In a poignant personal message to Prince Harry and daughter Meghan Markle, he added: "Congratulations - I'm very happy for you both and I hope this baby will bring you all the joy in the world.
"All newborn babies bring entire families happiness and joy - they can even bring broken families back together again."
Thomas added: "Hopefully this baby will help mend the family rift - we'd all love to meet the baby and become a part of his life - especially my dad.
"I'm hoping that becoming a mother will open up her eyes and shed light on what family means."
God bless the child and I wish him health and happiness, and my congratulations to my lovely daughter Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry — and God save the Queen.”
Thomas Markle
His dad Thomas, who is a retired Hollywood lighting director, was not contacted in advance about the birth, following a nine-month estrangement with his daughter.
But a source close to him said: “Thomas only has kind words for Meghan at the moment — he is extremely happy.
“Despite what has transpired over the last year, this is a very proud moment for him.
“He just wants his grandson to have a normal, happy, healthy life.
“He does not want to do anything to upset anybody at this time.
“And he is hoping that in the aftermath of the birth of his grandson, a rapprochement can be made.”
The source added that Thomas wants nothing more than to make up with Meghan, 37, who has not been in touch with him since last summer.
“With the birth, he will wait and see if things will change,” said the source.
“He wants an olive branch and would dearly love to hear something from Meghan and Harry.
“But he knows that if things don’t change, he faces the prospect of not seeing his grandson.”
The last contact Thomas had from the Duchess of Sussex was a letter last August saying he had broken her heart “into a million pieces”.
It followed a rift between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over his staged paparazzi pictures before she married Harry in May 2018.
This was followed by several media interviews — which led to her five-page handwritten note.
Thomas also had a heart attack, which meant he could not go to Windsor for Meghan’s wedding.
He has been left hurt by the events of the past 12 months.
Throughout Meghan’s childhood years, he developed a deep bond with her and was, contrary to many reports, an active dad.
Last year, the father of three told The Sun that Meghan Markle’s pregnancy had reminded him of the first time he held her in his arms.
Sharing intimate family pictures of Meghan, his youngest child, Thomas said: “She was put in my arms first.
“It was love at first sight — the most beautiful child I had ever seen. From that point on she was the perfect child. I would go home hoping she would be crying and awake, so I could walk her. I would walk her in the kitchen and listen to the refrigerator hum. It put her to sleep.
“Or we would go outside — this was in Woodland Hills [in LA] — and we would look up at the moon.
“I would point to the moon and say’ ‘This is Meggy’s moon’.
“For two years I did this, to the point that after a while she would say ‘Meggy’s moon’.
“That is something we did all the time. We were very close that way.”
Thomas and Doria, 62, divorced in 1987 when Meghan was six. She went on to live with him when she was a teenager in high school in California. It ensured a close bond between the pair — one that Thomas would dearly like to strike up with his newest grandchild.
Thomas’s other two children, Samantha Markle, 54, who lives in Florida, and Thomas Jr, 52, from Oregon, have five kids between them spread across the US.
Samantha’s eldest kids, Ashleigh, 33, and Chris, 31, both live in Virginia and have built successful careers as a lawyer and pilot respectively.
Her youngest daughter Noel, 21, is studying sociology in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Thomas Jr is dad to Tyler, 26, who recently appeared on MTV reality show The Royal World and makes his living as a marijuana farmer in Oregon.
His other son Thomas III, 27, lives with his husband in Mammoth Lakes, California, and runs a branch of Domino’s Pizza.
Samantha also spoke exclusively to The Sun yesterday, saying: “There is an amazing new baby in the world.
“I have to say congratulations to Meghan and Harry. [The baby] will be an amazing grandson for Prince Charles and my dad.
“It is important to know that there are a whole family of Markles that are happy he is in the world.
“Maybe we will all get to meet him some day.
“I would like to see this as a turning point between the Markle family and the royals.”
Samantha said an invite to the baby’s christening would be an olive branch for her dad Thomas, adding: “I would hope there would be a chance for people to reflect and look a little deeper.”
