Royal Wedding Guest List: Markle's Parents Invited?

Meghan Markle's parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, were both invited to her wedding to Prince Harry. However, Markle's father did not attend the wedding due to health problems, as he was recovering from a heart attack and had undergone heart surgery. Doria Ragland, on the other hand, had a close relationship with her daughter and was the only member of the Duchess's family who was invited to the royal wedding.

Thomas Markle's health problems

Thomas Markle, father of Meghan Markle, has had a number of health problems over the years. In the lead-up to Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, Thomas suffered two heart attacks and had to undergo heart surgery. He also suffered a stroke in May 2022, which left him with speech problems. In addition, he has a bad back and a dodgy knee.

Thomas's health issues have impacted some major life events. For example, his heart problems prevented him from attending Meghan's wedding and walking her down the aisle as originally planned. In a statement, Meghan confirmed that her father would not be attending due to health concerns, and Prince Charles ended up walking her down the aisle.

Thomas's health has also affected his ability to communicate and connect with his family. He has not spoken to Meghan since 2018 and has never met his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet. Thomas has expressed a desire to reconcile and meet his grandchildren, but as of his 80th birthday in 2024, he had not heard from Meghan.

Thomas Markle's staged paparazzi photoshoots

Thomas Markle, father of Meghan Markle, allegedly staged a series of photos with paparazzi photographer Jeff Rayner, ahead of his daughter's wedding to Prince Harry. The photos were sold to newspapers around the world, despite repeated pleas from Prince Harry for the media to leave his future father-in-law alone.

CCTV footage obtained by the Mail on Sunday shows Thomas Markle arriving at an internet cafe with Rayner. The pair are then seen preparing to photograph Markle while he sits at a computer, looking at news stories about his daughter and Prince Harry. Other photos show Markle reading a book about British landmarks in a branch of Starbucks, and working out with weights in an outdoor setting.

It was also claimed that a widely circulated photo of Markle being measured for a suit was staged, and that the "tailor" was actually an employee from a neighbouring business. Markle's half-sister, Samantha Markle, said that she had given her father the idea for the photoshoots, as she felt he was being portrayed negatively by the media.

Thomas Markle later apologised for staging the photos, saying he felt "forced" into it due to constant press attention. He also claimed that he had not profited from the photos. However, the revelation caused embarrassment for the Royal Family and undermined Prince Harry's pleas for privacy.

Meghan Markle's half-sister, Samantha Markle

Samantha Markle, also known as Samantha Grant, is Meghan Markle's older paternal half-sister. She was born on November 24, 1964, in Los Angeles, California. Markle has been divorced twice and has three children: Ashleigh and Christopher Hale with her first husband, Earl Hale, and Noelle Rasmussen with her second husband, Scott Rasmussen. Markle has had strained relationships with her children, her mother, and Meghan. She has not spoken to Meghan since 2014 or 2015 and was not invited to her royal wedding to Prince Harry.

Markle has been at the centre of much of the Markle family drama. She claimed that she was behind the staged photos of her father, Thomas Markle, in the lead-up to Meghan's wedding. She said that she had suggested the photo shoots to portray her father in a more positive light, as he was not pleased with the photos of him that had been published. Samantha Markle has also been involved in legal battles with Meghan. In March 2022, she sued Meghan for defamation, alleging that Meghan lied during her 2021 interview with Prince Harry. Markle claimed that Meghan's statements about their family negatively affected the sales of her autobiography and caused her emotional and mental distress. The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge in March 2024, who ruled that Meghan's comments were opinions and not capable of being proven false.

In addition to the legal battles, Samantha Markle has been vocal about her criticism of Meghan and Prince Harry. She has made various public statements, including calling Meghan a "shallow social climber" and claiming that their relationship is "toxic". She has also promoted conspiracy theories about Meghan, such as claiming that she faked her pregnancies. Due to her actions and behaviour, Samantha Markle was placed on a watch list maintained by the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre for exhibiting signs of obsession with members of the Royal Family.

Meghan Markle's half-siblings not being invited

In the lead-up to the royal wedding between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, there was much drama surrounding Meghan's family, particularly her half-siblings, Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha Markle, from her father's first marriage. The half-siblings were not expected to attend the wedding and were notably absent from the guest list, sparking interest from the media.

Meghan's relationship with her half-siblings has been described as non-existent, with a source close to Meghan stating, "Meghan has no relationship with her half-siblings, nor has she ever had one. They were out of the house by the time she was born." This assertion was supported by Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Jr., who, in an interview, claimed that he had not seen Meghan for about seven years before the wedding.

The absence of Meghan's half-siblings at the wedding can be attributed to their strained relationship with her. Thomas Jr. and Samantha have been outspoken about Meghan since she stepped into the royal spotlight. Thomas Jr. made headlines with a scathing letter published in a tabloid, claiming that their father had not received a wedding invitation and that Meghan had largely shut him out of her life. Samantha, on the other hand, fired back at Prince Harry on Twitter after he called the royals the family Meghan had "never had." She later softened her stance, attributing Harry's comment to "timing and geography."

Despite the drama caused by her half-siblings, Meghan's parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle Sr., played important roles on her wedding day. Doria, a yoga instructor, accompanied Meghan to Windsor Castle, while Thomas Sr., a retired Hollywood lighting director, was initially expected to walk his daughter down the aisle. However, due to health issues and controversy surrounding staged photos with paparazzi, he ultimately did not attend the wedding.

Doria Loyce Ragland's attendance

Doria Loyce Ragland is the mother of the Duchess of Sussex and is of African American descent. She was born in 1956 to Jeanette Arnold and her second husband, Alvin Ragland. Doria has two older maternal half-siblings, Joseph and Saundra Johnson, and a younger paternal half-brother, Joffrey Ragland. She was a makeup artist when she met Meghan's father, and later worked as a travel agent and a small business owner. She has a close relationship with her daughter. Doria Loyce Ragland was the first member of the family to meet Prince Harry.

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